Fragments Of The Black Witch
by warugiriia
Summary: A collection of AU short stories revolving around Rosa Ushiromiya. Features child-Rosa , Rosatrice , and more.
1. Chapter 1

_Greetings, humans, witches, demons, inquisitors, and furniture. My name and title are of no importance at all in this tale, so I shall keep my identity hidden, for fear of distracting you with pointless details *giggle*giggle* whether the stories I am about to tell are the truth or just a lie, it is up to you. Perhaps these short arcs can shed some light on the protagonist's past, and maybe cause you to view her in a new light? *giggle* So, without further ado, my dear reader, shall we dive into this story together?_

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 **Chapter 1: A Terrible Day, Part 1**

Ushiromiya Rosa held her bento box tightly in her small hands as she walked out of the classroom alone, with a small bag slung over her shoulder. Rosa didn't have any sort of friends or companions whatsoever, so she tried to head to the secluded area behind the PE storage room where she usually had her lunch as inconspicuously as possible. She was a shy girl, but it wasn't entirely her fault, as her big brother Rudolf had a reputation for being a serial womanizer, and even at the age of 13, Rosa still believed in princesses and knights and happy endings. This, of course, resulted in her being laughed at and bullied whenever she was even noticed. No one ever noticed Rosa, even back home when Kinzo yelled at his children, he never noticed a small girl with sandy brown hair tied into two pigtails, gazing at him with scared eyes. That was also why she had no friends. Rosa wasn't very good at socializing with people, because her older siblings always ignored her, and whenever she tried to play with the servants, Rudolf would always come along and flirt with them, leaving his little sister lonely and unhappy.

Rosa was a bit of an undergrown kid. When she first enrolled into the school, everyone thought she was a child here to look for their big brother. Initially, she'd tried to make friends, but wasn't very good at socializing, and had ended up being laughed at by the other students in her class. Now, 7 months later, she could blend in easily with her class, if 'blend in' meant hide from her class. She dodged the loud kids from the other class, took a detour to avoid Rudolf's classmates, hid in a closet to conceal herself from the girls in her class who were the first ones to assume she was a child and humiliate her, before finally reaching that little area behind the storage room. Rosa sat down on the hard ground, removing the cover of her bento box with a smile. She set her bag down too, and carefully removed her most precious plush toy, Torakichi, and set him down next to her. "Hi, Torakichi! Sorry you were stuffed in my bag for so long! I didn't want everyone else to make fun of you..." Rosa looked at the toy for a while, as though listening intently to it speak. Then, her face brightened into a wide, happy smile.

"No, it's alright! It's not Torakichi's fault that everyone doesn't want to be friends with Rosa. I have you as a friend, and you're very important to Rosa!" She said happily, still retaining her childish habit of referring to herself in third person, though at least it was gradually fading away. "High school is scary... But at least I have you! Let's have lunch together! Itadakimasu!~" The childish girl clapped her hands cheerfully and began to eat her lunch. After she finished, the bell rang and Rosa got up quickly, her eyes wide. "Oh no, I'm going to be late!" She hastily stuffed her empty bento box and Torakichi back into her bag and dashed back into the building. As she weaved through the crowd of people, she tripped over her own shoelaces and fell flat on her stomach, making a strangely cute noise of pain.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Uh oh.

In her haste to return to class, she'd totally forgotten that her brother Rudolf usually starts his slow stroll back from the cafeteria around this time, and he had to walk past her class to go back to his. "H-hello, Rudolf-oniichan." Rosa smiled nervously at her older brother, turning around to face him with a nervous smile on her face. Two different girls were on either side of Rudolf, his arms draped around them, and his huge gang of friends were behind him as well, laughing about something one of them said. "Returning to class late, are we?" Rudolf grinned. "W-well, I-I was just about to go in. A-and you're late too, Rudolf-oniichan." Rosa replied timidly, her hands clenched around the fabric of her skirt, taking a step backward. Just a few more steps back and I can escape... Rosa hated encounters with her big brother in school, because he always used every excuse possible to humiliate her. "Uwah, your younger sister is so cute!" One of the girls next to Rudolf, a brunette with a chest that could rival Eva's, threw back her head and laughed. "Hihihi, she is quite cute, but not as cute as you~" Rudolf laughed loudly.

"I-I'm going in now. S-see you later, Rudolf-oniichan." Rosa turned on her heel and quickly dashed away, heading for her class. Just then, she felt a large hand grasping her arm. "Hey, Rosa, why're you going so fast?" Rudolf grinned evilly at his terrified sister. "I'm going to be late..." Rosa mumbled, trying desperately to wrench her thin arm from his vise-like grip. "Hey, hey, let her go, Rudolf. Your sister is so cute, let's not scar that adorable innocence yet, shall we?" The brunette threw back her head and laughed a somewhat fake laugh. "Ihihi, Rosa is pretty cute now, but she's even cuter like this." He reached out his other arm, and yanked up her plaid skirt, holding on to the cloth firmly. Laughter echoed around the entire hallway. Everyone was watching that little scene between the siblings. Rosa gave a loud, embarassed shriek, and immediately pushed her skirt back down, pulling it away from Rudolf's grip, but not before everyone saw her underwear. "Hey, Ushiromiya! You're 13 already, wear some grown-up underwear! Only 10-year-olds wear white with pink bows!" Someone amongst the crowd shouted, resulting in the rest of the students erupting into laughter again.

"Y-you're mean, Rudolf onii-chan!" Rosa's eyes filled with tears, both hands tightly clutching her skirt. All she saw was the laughing faces of her schoolmates, further increasing her humiliation. She knew her big brother would play a prank on her, but she never expected him to do something on this level. Rudolf laughed cruelly at his sister. "What's wrong, Rosa? We're just playing with you!" He grinned widely and went back to putting his arms back around the two giggling girls. Biting back a sob, she forgot about her class and ran away, tears flowing from her brown eyes. She pushed past a few upperclassmen, and the rest of Rudolf's friends and ran back to the deserted area she usually had lunch at.

Rosa didn't stop running till she reached her secret corner, panting and crying. She sat down again, pulling Torakichi out of her bag. "Waah... Torakichi... Rudolf-oniichan is so mean! I-I've had enough of him and his teasing! Waah..." Rosa sobbed into her plush toy's soft body, wiping her tears with its arms. She sniffed, hiccuping. "I can't go back to class like this..." She said unhappily, trying to stop the sobs from coming out. "Th-thank you for b-being with Rosa, Torakichi. Y-you're my only friend around here, and Rosa doesn't need anyone as long as you're with Rosa!" She snuggled the plush toy to her chest, her tears falling onto the stuffed toy's head. "Maybe I should go back to class later..." Rosa said uncertainly. "What do you think, Torakichi?" The soft toy stayed silent, but Rosa nodded as though it'd answered her. "A-alright then... M-maybe during the next period." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, though that didn't help to clear the choked sensation that gripped her throat.

Of course, if Rudolf had seen the distress he'd brought to his little sister, maybe he would've apologised, just maybe. But at any rate, he was too busy being lectured by his teacher for being late to even notice. Meanwhile, back in Rosa's class, the teacher had arrived. "Where is Ushiromiya-san? She's 20 minutes late!" The teacher frowned disapprovingly. "She's probably gone to cry in a corner or something." One of the girls said, making the whole class giggle. Of course, none of them said things that cutting to Rosa's face, neither did any of them know just how true that statement was. The things they said behind her back though, was an entirely different story.

However, Rosa knew none of this. She continued to sit behind the storage room, playing with her only friend, doing her best to forget about the severe embarassment she'd suffered at the hands of her brother. She had no idea how much trouble she was in, for that teacher was particularly stern with her, since her work wasn't always up to standard. Ushiromiya Rosa had no idea that this was just the prelude to a long, horrible day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Terrible Day, Part 2**

After that embarassing episode, Ushiromiya Rosa finally slunk her way back into the class, unnoticed by her classmates. However, her teacher had sent Ushiromiya Krauss, her big brother, a message that Rosa had skipped one of her classes. No one contacted Ushiromiya Kinzo or his wife, for Kinzo's reputation was terrifying and her mother was incredibly arrogant, and refused to . The rest of the day passed without event, much to Rosa's delight. After the last bell rang, she dashed out of the class, pigtails flying, as she ran to the dock to catch the ferry in case she was late and received a huge scolding from Eva and Krauss. Eva was visiting the island, for she'd gotten married already. Krauss had gone out to buy a gift for Natsuhi, the woman he'd married. Their marriage was arranged, however, and though Natsuhi had only been part of the family for a few months, Rosa often saw Natsuhi standing alone in the corridors, her hand pressed to her forehead, her face twisted into an expression of pain. The older woman intimidated little Rosa immensely, and she did her best to stay out of Natsuhi's way. Thankfully, for Rosa, she was the first to arrive. "Hello." She greeted the captain with a smile before climbing into the ferry. Her mother had spent a lot money hiring a private ferry that sent her children to and fro from the island to the mainland. She sat inside the air-conditioned room of the ferry instead of standing on deck, picking a corner seat.

Rosa loved the ocean. She loved how beneath those beautiful blue waves, the sea concealed so many secrets that have yet to be discovered. She loved how it could turn from calm to dangerous in a heartbeat, much like her sister Eva. After a while, Krauss arrived, and he climbed onto the deck without so much as acknowledging her presence. Rudolf showed up sooner or later too, and gave Rosa a wink that made her turn dark red from the memory of the humiliation he'd caused her invaded her brain. Finally, Eva arrived too, and sat in the room with Rosa. "Oh? Rosa? Why aren't you out there with Rudolf and Krauss-niisan?" She asked in surprise. Usually, Eva sat in there alone while Rosa watched the ocean as they travelled across it, while Rudolf happily provoked Krauss till they began to argue. "I-I wanted to read my book." Rosa hastily pulled out a fantasy novel from her bag, smiling nervously at her sister before starting to read. The truth was that she was scared of facing Rudolf, after he'd done the undeniably cruel deed to her earlier.

Eva made a 'hmm' noise and pulled out her own book too. Only hers' was a reference book, and Eva whipped out a pen and a notebook and started to write intently. Ushiromiya Eva was intelligent, attractive, athletic and admired, unlike her younger sister, who was shy, childish, and constantly overlooked. The sisters sat there in silence, both focusing on ttheir individual task. The ferry rocked, and Torakichi fell out of Rosa's bag. "Torakichi!" Rosa's cry startled Eva, and she looked up at her little sister, annoyance displayed on her attractive face. Rosa picked up the plush toy and dusted it off before giving it a warm hug, stroking Torakichi's head. "Rosa, you're still carrying that thing around?" The older girl sneered at her younger sister, disgust evident on her face as she snatched the little toy from Rosa's arms, holding it high over the young girl's head. "G-give Torakichi back!" Rosa wailed, her heart thudding in her chest. "You are a disgrace to the Ushiromiya family! Still carrying this _thing_ around at your age, grow up and make some real friends! You'll always be a brat like this if you keep bringing this thing around! Why don't you just give up and diiiiieee?" Eva's voice grew higher and higher till she reached that last line, practically shrieking it.

Her words sliced into Rosa's fragile heart, bringing tears to her eyes, but still she persisted. "I-I-I'm sorry, Eva onee-chan! I promise I won't bring Torakichi around anymore! J-just give Torakichi back to me!" She pleaded, her arms raised high over her head, trying to reach her precious plushy. "You are a _disgrace_." Eva spat, roughly shoving the soft toy into her bag, and sat down, resuming her homework. "Eva-oneechan! P-p-please give Torakichi back!" Rosa held her sister's arm, only to be waved off with a glare and a rough jerk of Eva's arm. Trying not to let the tears overflow from her eyes, she slowly walked back to her little corner, picking up her book. Rosa looked at Eva's bag determinedly. _Don't worry Torakichi, Rosa will definitely come to save you!_

Back home, Eva flung her bag into her room unceremoniously before going to have lunch. Little Ushiromiya Rosa hid behind a curtain, waiting for her big sister to leave the room so she could steal Torakichi back. She watched Eva leave, waited until her tall figure disappeared down the hallway before sneaking in. Her small hands rummaged through Eva's bag desperately, searching for her most beloved plush toy. "Torakichi? Where are you?" Rosa whispered, digging through her books. "Rosa?" A stern voice behind her spoke. Rosa froze. "What are you doing?" The tall, angry figure of Eva loomed over her, her big sister's expression enough to make Rosa want to dissolve into tears. "I-I wanted to get Torakichi back! Give him back!" Rosa bit her lip. "You're looking for that _thing_? I should just rip off its head now!" Eva snarled, flinging open her closet and retrieving Torakichi. She'd dumped him into the closet the second she got back, before Rosa could follow her. "N-no! Eva onee-chan! Please don't!" Rosa begged, tears falling from the demure little girl's eyes for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

Eva's expression twisted into a cruel, mocking smile. One of her hands wrapped around Torakichi's head and the other around the stuffed toy's body, she started to pull, ignoring her younger sister's wails. " _EVA ONEE-CHAN! PLEASE DON'T_!" Rosa screamed, her hands reaching for her only friend, her heart beating wildly. _No, please don't kill him, please..._ " _I'll kill this stupid thing. Then maybe you can finally grow up_. If you're always going to be a pathetic brat, then why don't you just give up and diiiiieeeee?" Eva's voice had rose too, till she'd started to scream at her sobbing sister. "No! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Rosa promises she won't bring Torakichi to school anymore!" Rosa could see little splits forming on the stomach of her most beloved plushy. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She continued to scream apologies at her sister, who seemed to grow more and more infuriated with every "I'm sorry" Rosa said. Eva pulled harder and harder, and more splits were forming on the soft body of Ushiromiya Rosa's only friend...

"What's going on in here?" Genji, the butler, entered the room. "Nothing, Genji-san. I had to teach this brat something." Eva stopped tugging at the toy, much to Rosa's relief. "Is there a problem between Eva-sama and Rosa-sama? I heard both of you screaming and I thought I would come to investigate. My apologies if I interrupted anything." The older man bowed respectfully. "Rosa-sama, your mother is looking for you, and she is not in a very good mood. May I suggest that you immediately head over to the dining room where she is waiting for you?" Genji said politely to Rosa, who was quietly sobbing on her knees. "Y-yes, Genji-san." Rosa wiped her eyes, hiccuping. "B-but Torakichi..." She mumbled. Eva bit her lip, anger rising in her. If she continued to let Rosa carry that _stupid_ doll around, she'll always be a brat who would further disgrace the Ushiromiya family's name. But if she didn't, and she ripped its head off right now, she'd look like a cruel, heartless monster. Eva could care less about what her siblings thought of her. However, she preferred to project a more... positive image of herself to the public. In the end, her pride won over her anger and she tossed the doll back at Rosa with a withering glare. "I'm not even sure why I bother with you. You're clearly beyond saving. I'm going down for lunch." Eva spat at her sister, and with a polite nod at Genji, left the room.

"Th-thank you, Genji-san." Rosa snuggled the plush toy to her face, her smalls clutching its soft body as though it was the most precious thing in the world. And, in Rosa's world, Torakichi really was the most precious thing to her. She smiled gratefully up at the butler, who gave her a rare smile as well. Genji pulled a tissue out of his pocket. "Dry your eyes, Rosa-sama. You know your mother does not approve of tears." He dabbed at the corners of her wide brown eyes gently. Genji actually deduced that Eva was bullying Rosa again, and Kinzo's wife happened to be asking about the whereabouts of her youngest child, so Genji seized the opportunity, and went to rescue Rosa. "Thank you." Rosa repeated, taking the tissue and blowing her nose. Disposing of the tissue, Rosa left Eva's room for her own, and carefully set Torakichi down on her bed, then hid the toy in the closet after a second thought. Who knew what Eva or Rudolf or even Krauss might do to Torakichi while Rosa was gone. She shuddered at the thought, and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She fixed her long pigtails, and straightened the red bow on her chest.

Rosa hurried down the stairs, while mentally thanking her lucky stars that Genji had been there to intervene. She also thanked the witch of the forest, Beatrice. The young girl didn't doubt for a second that the witch was the one who bestowed her help upon Rosa. After all, she was the only one amongst her siblings who believed in Beatrice, and respected her. Of course, Rudolf had teased her mercilessly for her childish beliefs. Bracing herself, Rosa hesitantly walked into the dining room and took her place beside Eva, preparing herself for whatever would come next.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: A Terrible Day, Part 3**

"Rosa!" Her mother said as a way of greeting. Normally, not everyone remembered that Ushiromiya Rosa even _existed_ , let alone remembered anything bad she'd done. So that was why the young girl was terrified when her mother acknowledged her. "Y-yes, mother?" Rosa timidly reached out for the bowl of soup in front of her. "Your teacher sent me your grades for the last exam. They weren't acceptable at all. Make sure to clear up your act." The older woman snapped. "Y-yes, mother." Rosa bowed her head and started on her soup. "Eva, how have your studies been going?" Her mother asked, and Rosa's presence was forgotten once more. While Rudolf chatted amiably with Krauss and Eva discussed her lessons with her mother, Rosa quietly ate her lunch, already accustommed to this. Genji gave her a small smile when he took her empty bowl away, replacing it with the main course.

Ushiromiya Kinzo did not join them for lunch, predictably. That man barely left his study, and when he did, he used all his time to shout at his children (usually he ignored Rosa, even when yelling about how useless Krauss, Eva and Rudolf were. Rosa was starting to feel that if someone told Kinzo he had a small daughter named Ushiromiya Rosa, he'd give a loud roar of surprise and yell "I have only one useless, foolish daughter!") and speak to the servants. She finished her meal before the others, and quietly excused herself to leave. Rosa bathed quickly and changed into a casual dress, adorning her hair with little red bows on her pigtails. She sat at her desk, pulling out a pen and some unfinished assignments. With her head bent over a piece of blank paper, Rosa started to complete her work dilligently, ignoring the lovely weather outside, perfect for going out to play.

Except, a few hours later, Rosa couldn't stand being cooped up in her room, not with the sun beaming down on the ground and the clouds covering enough of the sun for the weather not to be too hot. She put on a pair of black shoes, before grabbing Torakichi and rushing down, completely forgetting her incomplete work. She dashed out into the rose garden, laughing happily. Rosa made sure no one was looking, and picked a rose, carefully tucking it behind her ear. She danced around the garden with her plush toy, spinning round and round while holding Torakichi's hands firmly. Soon, Rosa found herself dizzy and had to stop. She looked towards the forest. Rosa had never been in there before, because her mother (Krauss and Eva too) would scold her harshly if she did, while shouting stuff about not engaging something in so childish, and to honor the family name. In the end, it always came down to the Ushiromiya family name. Kinzo also spread the rumor of there being wolves and a witch in the forest. Rosa secretly suspected her mother resented her, for the young girl, who was a direct descendant of the Ushiromiyas, was allowed to wear the One-Winged Eagle on her clothes, while her mother, who married into the family, was not allowed to bear the crest upon her clothing. _Maybe if I don't go too far, I can get back before dinner, and maybe no one will notice..._ The young girl stood up, dusted herself down, picked her friend up, and shot towards the dark, mysterious forest, her childlike curiousity winning over her good sense. _I'll just play by the edge, where I can see the mansion, so even if the scary witch comes, I can just run back!_

 _A few hours later..._

"Rosa-sama!" A faint, older voice reached Ushiromiya Rosa's ears. "Kumasawa-san?" Rosa called back as loudly as she could, praying this wasn't just a trick of the wind. Rosa had been playing in the forest till she saw a rabbit, and began to chase after it. Soon, the rabbit was gone and Rosa was all alone and lost, shaking and crying with fear. Fear of being destroyed by the witch of the forest, Beatrice. Her white dress was ripped at the edges, caught on tree branches and thorns on bushes. The fabric was smeared with mud too, and even some blood. Her dirty hands were clutchhed around Torakichi in a death grip. Her pigtails had come loose, leaving Rosa's sandy brown hair to billow about her bare shoulders. Her face had been stained with mud and had a nasty cut on one cheek which was bleeding heavily, and her knees and arms were full of bruises, scrapes and cuts as well. The pouring rain only helped to sting Rosa's wounds, while the wind threatened to blow her off the cliff if she wasn't careful. She was hungry, tired, lost, miserable, and frightened. Rosa's lower lip had sustained many wounds as well, from where she'd bitten it hard enough to draw blood. She _knew_ she'd get a huge scolding for her ruined dress from her mother, but Rosa wouldn't have minded the scolding if it meant being able to return to the mansion.

"Rosa-sama?" Kumasawa called again. "Kumasawa-san!" Rosa screamed, getting up from where she was crouching in the mud, taking shelter from the lightning inside a bush. She'd tripped and fell somewhere near the area, resulting in a severe pain in her ankle, the pain intensifying when she tried to walk. So Rosa had curled up in a bush and prayed to Beatrice to save her. She'd heard that the witch of the forest would come to aid those who respected her, and so Rosa desperately held on to the hope that Beatrice would save her. Wincing with every step, she struggled forward towards the direction she could've sworn she heard the servant's voice come from. Soon, Rosa couldn't bear the searing pain, and crawled on her already filthy hands and knees for what seemed like an eternity towards the sound of Kumasawa's voice. "K-Kumasawa-san!" She called weakly. _It's no use. I'm going to die here._ Her hands further tightened their grip on Torakichi, as though her plush toy was the only beacon of hope left for the scared 13-year-old. "Ojou-sama!" Suddenly the voice was much closer than earlier. Rosa struggled forward until her last remaining ounce of strength left her petite body, and she collapsed on the ground. "Kumasawa-san..." She started to feel sleepy...so sleepy...

"Rosa-sama!" Kumasawa suddenly appeared before her, a lamp in one hand. "Oh dear, you must be so cold." The woman wrapped her thin arm around Rosa's slender frame. She'd stopped crying a while ago but upon being rescued not by a witch but by a kindly servant made her tear up again. "Kumasawa-san!" She cried, sobbingg into the servant's apron. "There now, I've got you." Slowly, Kumasawa helped Rosa to her feet, one arm supporting her and the other holding the lamp. After they navigated their way through the forest for a while, they finally left the forest and came to the mansion. Kumasawa assisted Rosa into the mansion, where she was met by Genji with a towel. "Rosa-sama, are you alright?" Thee butler asked, brushing stray leaves and twigs from her tangled hair. "Y-yes I'm fine. Tha-tha-thank you." Shivering from the cold, Rosa wrapped the towel around her body thankfully. "I shall go let your mother know that we have found you. The whole household, excluding Kinzo has been searching for you."

"E-even Eva onee-chan and Krauss onii-chan?" Rosa asked skeptically. She knew Rudolf was happy for any excuse to get out of studying and run amok. "Krauss-sama and Eva-sama were somewhat reluctant." Genji admitted hesitantly. "But in the end they decided to obey your mother's commands." Rosa sighed inwardly. "Come on nw. Go take a hot bath, and this old lady here will take you some of her special mackerel stew. It has magic in it, you know? Ohohoho~" Kumasawa chuckled. "Y-yes, Kumasawa-san." Rosa giggled, and slowly limped up the stairs, still tightly holding on to the towel and her stuffed toy, waving off Genji and Kumasawa's offers of help. "Rosa!" The last voice she wanted to hear right now. "E-Eva-oneechan?" She answered timidly. "What were you thinking?! Are you alright?" Eva snapped, inspecting her younger sister's dirty clothes and limbs. "I'm fine, Eva-oneechan." Rosa gave her sister a small smile. It was nice to have Eva worry about her, once in a while. "I had to stop my homework to find you! You should've come back sooner!" She scolded, and the little happy bubble that had formed inside the younger girl upon hearing her older sister's concern immediately disappeared. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, limping past her sister, her sprained ankle preventing her from making her quick escape. She mentally cursed the weather for transforming into a storm all of a sudden, and reminded herself to _never ever play in the forest ever again._

"That was quite an adventure." Rosa laughed, scrubbing Torakichi clean. She'd spent a long time removing all the dirt and grime from her body, and rubbing ointment (given by Dr. Nanjo) onto all of her wounds. "But we're back now." Finally, she'd changed into her nightgown and carefully crouched on the floor, making sure not to apply pressure onto her injured ankle, and picked up her filthy plush toy. The stuffed toy was now being soaked in a bucket of soapy water while Rosa scrubbed it clean with a brush. "There, all better now!" She pulled the drenched toy out and dried it with a towel, before hugging the toy. "Rosa-san?" Kumasawa knocked on the door. "Come in!" Rosa called, slowly limping towards the door. "Genji-san decided to cook you some dinner, so you'll have to make do with it until he allows me to make my mackerel stew. Ohohoho~" She helped Rosa to her desk with one hand, the other holding a tray laden with what looked like freshly-made soup and some cake. Thanking Kumasawa before she left, Rosa sloppily spooned soup into her mouth, too hungry to care about her table manners.

"Rosa!" Her mother entered the room, and Rosa immediately started to eat in a more ladylike manner. Before she could say anything her mother grabbed her and embraced her tightly. "Don't _ever_ do that again!" She scolded. "Yes, mother." Rosa hugged her mother, before suddenly pulling away and sneezing into a tissue she'd grabbed hastily. "Now you're sick. You shouldn't have gotten lost like that. Also, what did I tell you about playing in the forest?" The older woman reprimanded her daughter sternly. "Yes, mother." Rosa repeated, continuing her meal. "By the way, Krauss received a message from your teacher." Her mother's face had changed. "She said you'd skipped out on her class." Rosa's eyes widened a little. "W-well, it was Rudolf-oniichan who started it..." She began to explain the whole situation. Her mother's face hadn't changed a bit. "You should not have let such a thing get to you! You are an Ushiromiya, you should learn to live up to your name!" Her mother scolded her harshly. _If only Krauss-oniichan hadn't snitched on me..._ Rosa vaguely remembered Rudolf telling her once that there was a time when Krauss had skipped school and gone out with his friends. Genji was notified, and he'd almost told on him to Kinzo. Almost. Rosa couldn't help but resent her big brother's luck. Why couldn't _her_ teacher have called Genji too? Or at least Eva, who would just scold Rosa but not alert her parents.

Finally, her mother left the room after she was done with her long, long lecture. Rosa quietly ate her cake before pulling out her summer homework, which she _still_ hadn't finished, even though it was due in a few days. _I wish Krauss onii-chan, Eva onee-chan and Rudolf onii-chan wouldn't be so mean to me. I hate them, I hate them I hate them! I wish they'd just disappear already!_ After 2 hours of working and enduring her uncharacteristically dark thoughts, Rosa pulled out her diary and flipped to an empty page, and began to write.

 _31 August. The weather here is awful. Krauss onii-chan snitched on me, Eva onee-chan took my favorite toy away and Rudolf onii-chan pulled up my skirt. I haven't finished my summer homework. My most precious plush toy Torakich almost got it's head ripped off. I have had enough. I hope you all die._

With those grim last words, Ushiromiya Rosa sighed, sneezed violently, and prepared to go to sleep, praying sincerely that the following day would not be as full of misfortune as today.


	4. Chapter 4

_Welcome back, my dear reader. Have you enjoyed the first tale? I sincerely hope so, from the bottom of my heart. Have you rested well? Come now, it is time to lift the curtain on the second tale. Perhaps this story is the truth, or it could also be a lie. At any rate, let us begin the second story together *giggle*giggle*_

 **Chapter 4: Second Love, Part 1**

22-year-old Ushiromiya Rosa stepped out of her classroom alone, her backpack full of homework. College wasn't as easy as Eva always said it was. Her soft brown hair was no longer confined to two childish pigtails, not since that incident. Rosa had grown up. She no longer relied on stuffed toys for friendship. She'd made a few friends over the years, and though they weren't all that close, Rosa was thankful she actually had real friends. As she slipped past the crowd, she found herself keeping an eye out for a particular upperclassman. Rosa knew she shouldn't be thinking about boys, not since she'd foolishly given her entire heart away to an idiot who crushed it to pieces before handing the fragments back to her. It had taken months for Rosa to put the fragile pieces of her naive heart back together. And yet, she'd given her not-quite-whole heart away again. This time, she hoped, perhaps rather naively, that this would be different.

He was an upperclassman, one year older than her. He had brown hair too, though his was a few shades darker than hers', and cut short. His eyes were dark purple, a strange violet colour. He had an easy smile and fair skin, and was incredibly tall. He wasn't in any of the top classes, but he wasn't stupid either. Rosa had only spoken to him once, when she'd stuttered out a shaky "e-e-excuse me" when he was blocking her way. He was the first boy who hadn't glared at her when she asked him to move. Instead, he'd smiled and apologized, bowing dramatically to let her pass. So her infatuation with him was more like a long-distance crush. His name was Nakamura Sora. Sora meant 'sky', and to Rosa, he was like the sky: beautiful, mysterious, and unreachable.

She sighed inwardly. Rosa's life was rather bleak right now. Ever since that fateful day, her fantasties and delusions of being rescued by a prince or a knight vanished, the castles she'd built in her head demolished. After all, Beatrice had been hoping for her knight to come rescue her too. And Ushiromiya Rosa, a 14-year-old with a small frame and sandy brown hair tied into two girlish pigtails, had come to free her. Knights didn't always free the princess. Sometimes things went wrong too. When little Rosa discovered the strange, beautiful, a little arrogant, yet childlike woman's broken body lying on the rocks with the contents of her head stained all over the rocks, all Rosa could do was stare at the red liquid pooling beneath her cracked skull, tinting her golden hair. She'd stared at the blood in horror, because that blood was on _her_ hands, and no matter what, she'd never ever be able to wash them clean. Those bloodstained hands would always, always carry the crushing weight of her cross, but not carrying, _supporting_ the weight of Ushiromiya Rosa's sin till it finally crushed her.

The weeks after that were full of nightmares, with her waking up screaming, biting back the name 'Beatrice' in case anyone ever found out her dark, dark secret. The weeks turned into months, which turned into years. At one point, she wasn't sure when, she'd pulled the hairbands out of her hair, getting rid of those stupid pigtails once and for all. She'd stopped talking to her plushies. She'd made real friends. She'd grown up. Krauss ignored her as usual, Eva eventually ran out of things to criticize about her younger sister, but she still suffered msny betrayals at Rudolf's hands. Rosa didn't mind that much though, for she felt like that was the weight of her cross, and being humiliated and betrayed by your older brother over and over again seemed like a small price to pay for a person's life.

While her mind was full of these dark thoughts, she hadn't been looking where she was going, and crashed into someone. "Oh, sorry!" Rosa ran her hand through her long hair. "It's alright." A very familiar voice sounded from the person she'd walked into. _Could it be...?_ "You're...Ushiromiya Rosa, right?" Sora frowned for a moment, trying to remember her name. "Y-yes!" Rosa stammered, turning beet red. _I know I don't deserve happiness, after what I did to Beatrice. But I..._ "I knew your brother Rudolf, back in high school. He's quite a horrible guy, from what I can see." Sora's voice cut into her mental babble, bringing her back to reality. "Rudolf-nii-san isn't that bad, he's just..." Rosa bit her lip, trying to defend a brother who hadn't cared all that much about her. Sora just laughed at her (adorable) frowning face. "He cheated on my sister last year." He said matter-of-factly. "Ah, sorry. Rudolf-nii-san is a bit..." She let her sentence trail off, suddenly aware of how hard her heart was beating. _Ahh, what if my hair isn't neat? Is my shirt creased? Am I wearing a really stupid expression right now?_ "Ushiromiya-san?" Sora asked somehwat cautiously."Y-yes? Sorry, I've just got a headache." It was true, her head had begun to ache sometime during class, and she wanted nothing more than to go home and take a nice, long nap and temporarily forget about her sins.

"You look pale. I'll take you to the infirmary." Waving away her protests about "I'm fine", he escorted a blushing Rosa to the nurse's office, picked up some aspirin, and left. "Tha-thank you." She muttered awkwardly, feeling like a kid again, and taking a few pills before stuffing the rest into her backpack. He had also insisted on walking her to the dock, to make sure she'd get onto the ferry safely. "No problem. Are you sure you're alright?" Sora asked. _I must've looked so pathetic._ "Yeah, I'm alright." Self-conciously tucking a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear, Rosa kept her eyes on her feet as they walked, dreading the teasing from her cruel siblings. "Eva-nee-san will kill me for being late." She said almost sadly. "My siblings are evil too. One time, I accidentally ate my older brother's lunch, and he decided to throw all my homework into a fire." He laughed. _You think that's cruel? If I were in your place, Eva-neesan would scream at me till I cried, Rudolf-niisan would probably pour bleach into my shampoo, and Krauss-niisan would most likely find some way to make sure I go hungry for a whole day._ Rosa bit down the hysterical laughter threatening to flow from her lips, and continued to smile pleasantly (she _hoped_ she seemed pleasant, at the very least) while he talked.

After what seemed like 3 minutes, the long walk to the ferry that Rosa usually took alone, was over. "Well, we're here. It was great meeting you, Ushiromiya-san." Sora grinned at her. Rosa couldn't help but feel like this was something out of the shoujo manga she used to read when she was young. "It was nice meeting you too, Nakamura-kun." She smiled cordially, waving before getting onto the ship. She endured Rudolf's teasing ( _"hehehe, my cute little sister finally got a boyfriend. I was starting to think she may not be interested too, since her older brother is so devastatingly handsome, yet she never admitted how good looking he was, hehehe~"_ ) for a while before casually bringing up Sora's sister's relationship with Rudolf. Predictably, he blanched, and left her to go annoy Eva instead. Rudolf was staying over at the mansion with his wife, Asumu, and their son, Battler. Rosa smiled to herself, hugging her bag to her (still rather flat, compared to everyone else's, even though she was already 23) chest, her broken world fixed again, for that short, _precious_ time she'd spent with Sora.

The next day, during recess, Rosa quietly slipped out of the classroom, her bento box in hand. She didn't feel like interacting with her friends, so she headed to the deserted corner where she used to hide, alone, whenever she was teased by her other classmates. Anyone would've thought that college students wouldn't be so immature, but they were. At least none of them were as mean as Eva. Rosa had gotten another nightmare about Beatrice that night. The image of her friend lying sprawled on the rocks, her blue eyes flat and lifeless, her golden hair dipped in red, oh god, that _red_ was just _everywhere_ , and Rosa couldn't take it anymore, the smell of her blood and the cranial fluid leaking out of her head... She'd spent a sleepless night, tossing and turning, sobbing into her pillow, while whispering apologies to the deceased Beatrice. Her hands trembled. While walking, an object suddenly came flying at her, knocking the back of her head and sending her to the ground, the contents of her lunchbox spilled all over the grass. "Ow..." Rosa rubbed the back of her head, wincing. As she sat on the ground, trying not to cry out in pain, she heard a faint cry of "you're all idiots!", some laughter, and a pair of feet jogging towards her. The footfalls started to get louder and...

"Ushiromiya-san! Are you alright?" Nakamura Sora jogged over to Rosa, kneeling down next to her. "Yes." Rosa answered in a somewhat steady voice. "Those idiots _had_ to throw the stupid ball around when you were walking by..." He sighed, shaking his head. Rosa bit her lip. _They think I'm strange because I don't talk to anyone. That I'm a freak or something, just because I'm an Ushiromiya._ Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Sora's warm hands on her head, digging through her hair to check the wound. "It looks rather serious. I think you should be treated or something." He said concernedly. "N-no! I'm fine!" She insisted. Going to the nurse's office two days in a row would be beyond humiliating, and Rosa would like to avoid embarassment as much as she could. "The ball bruised the back of your head when it hit you." Sora spoke sharply. "I'm alright!" Rosa said stubbornly. He looked into her eyes sternly, and suddenly all Rosa could see was that deep, violet colour of his eyes, that beautiful shade of purple that was hovering somewhere between purple and dark gray, enchanting on a level she never thought was possible. Her own eyes were a warm shade of brown, nothing particularly special, she thought sadly.

"You've got an injury. What if it's actually more serious than it looks?" He reprimanded. "I..." Her brain couldn't form a sentence, her mouth opening and closing. Rosa's fair cheeks were glowing red, her heart hammering her chest. Sora sighed, before rising to his feet and grinned widely. "If you won't go, then as the duty of your friend, I shall carry you to the nurse's office. Please do not try to resist." He held out his arms toward her and Rosa shrank back instinctively. "N-no! H-how about this, once I get home I promise I'll ask the doctor to take a look, okay?" The words left Rosa's mouth in a hysterical stream, her brain only able to focus on the words "my friend". He...was her friend. Sora sighed once more. "Fine. Oh, but what about your lunch?" He gestured towards the food littering the ground. "I'm alright, really. And it's okay, I'm not hungry." Rosa insisted stubbornly, the thickheaded streak that came with being an Ushiromiya kicking in. Giving up, Sora sat down next to Rosa. They started chatting amicably, Rosa laughing at his ridiculous jokes and Sora grinning at the stories (the more amusing ones she'd chose to tell him, that is) of her family. The bell rang, soon enough, much to both the teenagers' disappointment. "I'll see you after school then, Ushiromiya-san!" The taller boy had called after walking Rosa to her class, making her friends squeal with delight. ("Uwaahh, Rosa's boyfriend is so cute!" "I heard he's an upperclassman~" "I want a boyfriend like hers'! He even walks her back to class!" "No fair!") Both Sora and Rosa had turned scarlet at her friends' shrieks, both of them hastily reassuring them that they were 100% _not_ dating, identical embarassed looks on their faces, carefully not looking at each other.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hiya! It's the writer here and I just wanted to tell you thanks for the lovely reviews ! Special shoutout to UnwritenPage and Beatoooriiiiiche for the great reviews they sent me, thanks for your support ! :3 This chapter is dedicated to both of you, enjoy ~_

 **Chapter 5: Second Love, Part 2**

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, and turned into a year, and more. That was how long Nakamura Sora and Ushiromiya Rosa's friendship lasted. The two got closer and closer despite the fact that he was a year older than her and her gender was opposite to his, and the rather unusual circumstances they'd become friends under. Once, she invited him over to the island, but upon seeing Eva's evil expression when he boarded the ferry, they both agreed that it'd be safer if he didn't visit her just yet. They celebrated each other's birthdays at school, with cakes brought from home or bought. However, Rosa had never gone over to visit Sora, and he'd never met her on the island before. Since Sora was already 24, he'd graduate shortly, leaving Rosa behind for the real world. Of course, she was supportive of her friend, cheering him on and encouraging him, though her heart was screaming _no, don't leave me, please don't go_. Rosa had had a crush on her friend for about 6 months, before those feelings started to develop into actual love. Rosa loved her best friend. Her situation was so similar to a character from a shoujo manga she'd sometimes burst out laughing at the thought, much to Eva's disapproval and Rudolf's amusement. Rosa had been struggling in a dark, broken world a year ago, with Beatrice's blood on her hands, and the weight of her cross to carry. Yet, he'd stayed with her. Sora knew she was broken, that something had broken her. But, he never asked why she was that way. Sometimes he'd hint that he wanted to know, but Rosa would clam up instantly, her stubborn streak and her fear trumping his curiousity. However, he never pried, just held his friend while she cried in his arms.

Somehow, Sora always knew whenever Rosa was upset. He said he could see it from her body language, but most importantly, from her eyes. He said her brown eyes would be flat, emotionless, yet watery, as though trying to hold back tears. She felt so pathetic crying to him like that, but he'd insisted, announcing that he cared about Rosa, and he wasn't going to let someone he loved be sad. Naturally, Rosa's feelings for him went from a crush to something more substantial and terrifying. Love. She loved him.

After school, Sora walked her to the jetty, as usual. It was Friday, so Rosa had the lovely prospect of being teased and mocked and insulted by all four of her siblings (Eva said she'd come back for the weekend, for what reason, Rosa was not told) for two whole days. Then, he asked her something she'd never been asked before. "You wanna go out sometime?" He asked, his violet eyes bright and shining. Rosa turned crimson, gasping sharply. "Wh-what's wrong, Ushiromiya-san?" He asked immediately, alarmed at her reaction. She'd never dared to ask him to just call her Rosa, so the term 'Ushiromiya-san' stuck around their entire friendship. "Nothing... It's just that... No one has asked me out before." She said shyly, smiling embarassedly. "Not even a friend?" He looked shocked. "I never really had any friends." She answered softly. "Well, whether you like it or not, I'm your friend. So let's go out sometime. Maybe tomorrow? I'll take you to the arcade, or we could go watch a movie or something." Sora said, grinning widely. Rosa bit her lip. _The problem is that my mother may not allow me to go out ever again, not since the time when I was 13 and got lost in the forest..._ But still, she had to try. "Alright. I'll let you know tomorrow?" She smiled at him. Even now, she still felt dreadfully self-concious in front of him. "Great. See you then." They stopped at the jetty. Rosa found herself reaching for him, to pull him into a quick hug, but stopped herself. "Goodbye, Nakamura-kun." Likewise, she'd been terrified to call him by his first name, in case he preferred to be addressed by his surname.

 _Later that day..._

"Mother." Rosa said softly to the other woman who was reading a newspaper and drinking tea. Her mother had contracted some strange illness a while ago, and was now forced to remain in bed, as she might overexert herself if she got up. Rosa was never told what disease her mother had, though she heard Dr. Nanjo saying to Genji that her mother had cncer. "Yes?" She didn't look up from her paper. "I was...wondering... If I...could go out with a friend of mine." Her hands were tightly clasped together, betraying Rosa's cool facade. In reality she was nervous, very nervous. She felt incredibly pathetic for having to ask her mother for permission over these little things, but she could tell that her mother would be angry if she left without informing her, for she suspected her mother secretly felt that Rosa, though grown-up and in college, would always be that naive, foolish little girl with the pigtails, and would never survive in the harshness of the real world. "A _friend_?" Her mother said in disbelief. Rosa bit back the angry retort forming on her lips. "Yes. I promise to return by sundown, and I won't do anything to disgrace the family name." Rosa said in a rush. It was most likely the mention of the family name and her mother's good mood, that made her sigh, nod and say "what the heck. It took you a while to finally get some friends. Just be back by 7 and don't do anything stupid." Rosa gave a loud mental cry of joy, her cheeks light pink. "Thank you, mother." Politely excusing herself, Rosa dashed out of her mother's bedroom quickly, almost knocking a vase over, her heart racing. She was so happy she could barely speak, and even administered a cheerful "hello, Eva-nee-san!" to her big sister as she skipped past her in the hallway. Eva blinked in confusion, then shook her head, muttering something about the crazy kids (Eva said _kids_ like her sister was still 14, much to Rosa's amusement) of this generation, and how she'd make sure George never turned out like her. Eva was most likely here to pick up some things, or to speak with Father. Krauss and Rosa were the only two amongst the four still living on the island, for now. Krauss had taken up permanent residence at the mansion, as he _was_ the heir to the Ushiromiya family, after all. Rosa was still in school, so she hadn't found a place of her own just yet.

Ignoring her sister's comment, Rosa skipped all the way up to her room, a bright, innocent smile on her face. Even Natsuhi, who was in the hall looking miserable (as usual), probably thinking about her inability to have children (Rosa had heard Eva mock her cruelly for that many times, and a small part of her was glad that Eva had found a new target for her poison, while a bigger, shyer part longed to go and comfort Natsuhi), gave Rosa a smile when she rushed past her, wider than the small ones she usually plastered on her face whenever Rosa walked by. Cheerfulness _was_ contagious after all. Grabbing the telephone, she dialed Sora's number, and waited for him to pick up. "Hello, this is Nakamura residence." Sora's pleasant voice reached Rosa's ears. "H-hello, Nakamura-kun? It's me, Rosa." Rosa bit her lip nervously. She'd almost never called him before. The first time they spoke on the phone was sometime after they exchanged numbers, and he'd called her to tell her some hilarious story about a classmate of theirs', with Rosa laughing till she cried, only to have Eva interrupt their happy time rudely, snapping at Rosa to shut up. "Ushiromiya-san!" Sora answered, surprised. "What time should we meet?" She could practically _hear_ his smile. "Is 10 alright for you? I'll come see you at the dock." He offered considerately. "Alright, see you then." Rosa hung up, still smiling. Opening her closet, she sorted through her clothes for an hour, picking out the perfect outfit. _It's almost like we're on a date..._ She dismissed the thought with a laugh. How ridiculous.

Saturday morning came in a rush of clouds, the perfect weather for going out. Rosa woke at 7, unable to sleep well due to the knot of nervousness and excitement that was squeezing her stomach. She got up, brushed her teeth, took a long shower, before pulling on the outfit she'd chosen. After a considerable amount of time, Rosa had settled for a light green summer dress that reached her knees, with white floral designs on it. She paired the dress with a light, plain, yet tasteful white jacket, and a pair of white sandals. Finally, she brushed her long sandy brown hair, frowning. She couldn't quite decide on what to do with it. She hated her plain looks, and make the decision to style it a little, just for today. However, braiding her soft locks only reminded her of Beatrice, and she instantly yanked the rubber band from her hair roughly, ignoring the pain that shot through her scalp when she accidentally ripped a few strands of hair out too. She piled her hair into a bun, then decided against it too, because Beatrice had also had her hair in an elaborate bun. Rosa swore never to wear those ridiculous, girlish pigtails ever again, so she settled for a low ponytail, attaching a cream-coloured bow to the rubber band. Nervously, she scrutinized her appearance in the full-length mirror. She wished she was as attractive and striking as her sister, but she was just plain little Rosa, nervously clasping her hands together as she waited for the time to pass. It was now 8.00 am. The ferry left at 9.30,

Over the painful one and a half hour long wait, she got up to change her hairstyle 5 times, had breakfast, changed her outfit 7 times before settling on the summer dress again, and wrote a new entry in her diary. The moment the clock struck 9.30, Rosa ran out of the mansion, her heart thudding in her ears. She was restless throughout most of the ride to the mainland, pacing up and down. _What if I look stupid? What if he doesn't show up? He has to, he wouldn't just leave me like this, right?_ After giving the captain a quick thank-you, Rosa quickly ran to the spot he said he'd meet her at. "Where is he?" _Oh no, oh no, oh god no... Ahh, enough with the negativity, maybe he's just running late..._ She looked around wildly. _Please just let him be late..._ "Ushiromiya-san!" A cheery greeting came from somewhere on her left. Swivelling round to face the source of the noise, she saw (to her immense relief) Sora jogging towards her, dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, a cap atop his short dark hair, smiling and waving. "Nakamura-kun!" Rosa could've kissed him in sheer happiness. "I'm sorry, I waited on the wrong side. I thought you'd show up there." He apologized sheepishly. "No, it's alright." Her cheeks were glowing red. She felt self-concious again. _Oh no, I must really look ridiculous..._ "You look really pretty, Ushiromiya-san." Sora smiled, taking in her appearance from top to bottom. All her worrying was for nothing. Rosa _did_ look incredibly nice. The light colours went well with the sandy brown hue of her hair, bringing out the warm brown colour of her eyes. Her cheeks reddened even more.

"Tha-thank you! Y-you look nice too, Nakamura-kun!" Blushing like a flustered kid, Rosa felt that her hair may as well have been in those _stupid_ pigtails: the shyness she felt around him rather overwhelming. "Thanks. I didn't know what to wear, so I just threw on the first thing I found." Sora admitted embarrassedly, scratching the back of his neck. "Let's go then." Rosa smiled sweetly. "Great! I thought we could catch a bus to the city and go to the arcade first, then have lunch and go see a movie, before going back. Is that okay?" He asked. "Yeah!" Rosa nodded enthusiastically. The two college students started their journey to the bus stop, walking next to each other, talking happily, arms occasionally brushing, but never holding hands.

...At least, not yet.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Second Love, Part 3**

The bus ride to the city was quick and uneventful. Rosa had almost never been to the city, as all the groceries were bought by the servants, and when her mother went out she never took Rosa along. She'd have liked to go on her own, but as the youngest child, she was never allowed out. So of course, Eva and Rudolf teased her all the time for always being the little one in the family. Krauss did too, after returning from taking Natsuhi out for little trips, but he only did so when he remembered that Rosa actually existed. The thing about being the youngest kid is that no one paid attention to you, and Rosa had it particularly bad. She must've been startin to doze off, for she suddenly felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Ushiromiya-san, we're almost there." Sora's voice jerked her awake. "Y-yes! Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night..." Rosa replied truthfully, her cheeks turning pink. "Neither did I, to be honest. C'mon, this is our stop." The two thanked the driver, and exited the bus. Doing her best to contain her excitement, Rosa walked in silence next to Sora, the air between them suddenly taking on an awkward feel. The walk seeemed to take a million years, both of them blushing and purposefully not looking at one another, both sets of eyes on their feet.

"We're here." Sora finally broke the silence, coughing awkwardly. "I'm excited." Rosa admittedly shyly. He laughed ruffling her hair affectionately. "You've never been to an arcade before?" He asked. Rosa shook her head. Sora laughed again, taking Rosa's small, delicate hand in his larger one, pulling her into the arcade. Her hand felt oddly protected, wrapped safely in his. Both their hands were sweating lightly from the heat, but he didn't let go, perhaps because he'd subconciously grabbed her hand in excitement or something. She, however, held on to his hand tightly, knowing that she'd never ever be able to do something like that normally. Heck, they never even contacted each other physically except during one of her breakdowns and he held her firmly, giving her hand the occasional reassuring squeeze, but nothing more than that. She waited while he bought tokens for both of them, her hand still in his. Finally, they had to pay for the tokens Sora'd gotten, and she finally let go of his hand. Digging into her purse, she fended off his insistence to pay for both of them, as it was her first time there. Rosa countered with the fact that her family was exceedingly wealthy, and paying for the expenses of the day was the least she could do to repay his kindness towards her.

Her words made him look at her steadily, with something she couldn't quite pinpoint in his deep violet eyes, and allowed her to pay in silence. "What should we do first?" Rosa asked hesitantly, looking around. "Have you ever fired a gun before, Ushiromiya-san?" Sora grinned widely, taking her hand and leading her to a game involving two rifles on a stand. Slipping tokens into the coinc slot, Rosa and Sora picked up their respective rifles, and began to fire at the aliens they were fighting. "Watch out, Nakamura-kun!" Rosa blasted an alien out of his way, earning her a few points and preventing him from losing anymore health. "You're good. Are you sure this isn't the first time you're firing a gun or playing a game like this?" He laughed, spraying bullets all over the place. "You should work on your aim." Rosa said, unusually mischevious, a pleasant change from her usual shy attitude. "Hehe, I'm still going to beat you!~" Suddenly, Sora stretched out one hand and tickled Rosa in the ribs, making her lose her concentration, laughing, allowing Sora to defeat the biggest alien, gaining all the points from the battle. "Oh, looks like _someone_ 's ticklish!" He laughed, waiting for the next stage of the game to load.

"N-no fair! You cheated!" Rosa pouted and swung her fists downwards, puffing out her cheeks in a childish tantrum. Sora laughed. "You're a lot cuter acting like a kid." He grinned. "E-eh? Wha-what does that mean?!" Just as quickly as her immature fit began, it ended, to be replaced by a look of embarassment, her round brown eyes widening, her cheeks reddening too. Sora just laughed once more, purposely not answering her question, picking up his gun again as the new round started, and the game resumed. This time, Rosa emerged victorious, without pulling any dirty tricks like him. Soon, powerful as Sora and Rosa were, they were defeated by the final boss, almost winning the game, but obviously the game creators wouldn't want that to happen, so they included some ridiculous trap, ensuring the players' defeat. "Dammit..." He swore, setting down the game controller. "It's alright, I had fun. What should we play next?" Rosa asked, though her eye had fallen on the abandoned claw machine in the corner. There were lots of people playing the other games provided, but the claw machine was alone, probably because no one could ever win anything. Unfortunately for Rosa, she wasn't aware about that, and she'd spotted a particularly cute stuffed toy in the transparent case.

Even at the age of 24, after the Beatrice incident, and after being mocked by her big sister cruelly so many times, Ushiromiya Rosa still had a thing for stuffed toys. That was why she still kept all her old plushies underneath her bed, even Uutan, though he'd gotten his ears and limbs almost ripped off, stuffing leaking from the splits in his body. She hadn't bought a new plush toy in years. Yet, for some strange reason, that stuffed bear resting atop a mountain of other soft toys, that stuffed bear that wasn't even all that special, drew Rosa's eye. Sora looked over her shoulder, and saw the claw machine, put 3 and 7 together, and broke into a grin. "Ushiromiya-saaaaan~" He began, smiling devilishly. With an embarassed look, Rosa puffed out her cheeks, and crossed her arms, her cheeks red. "D-don't make fun of me!" She said, brushing her bangs out of her eyes, clearly flustered. He really _was_ teasing her a lot more than he usually did. Rolling his eyes, he walked towards the machine behind Rosa. With a cheerful, excited sound somewhere between a squeal and an exclamation of 'aah!', she ran towards Sora excitedly, her sandals making _clack clack clack_ sounds on the floor.

Her nose and palms pressed against the case, Rosa's eyes fixated on the plushy lurking in the corner. It wasn't small enough to stuff into her bag, but it was just the right size to snuggle at night before she went to sleep, and _dammit, I thought I'd grown out of that kind of stuff already!_ "Watch this!" Sora inserted two coins into the slot, moving the metal claw around a little, and pressing a button. The claw reached down... And missed the stuffed toy Rosa desired altogether. Rosa laughed. "May I take over?" She loved seeing the other sides to him, and naturally, though unconciously, she began to show more sides of herself to him too. She... Really was in love.

"Go ahead." He grinned. Rosa paid 2 tokens, and moved the metal contraption around, frowning as she did so. She twisted the knob slightly to the right, then to the back, then slightly left again, and this went on for a while till she nodded to herself, and pushed the button. The metal claw lowered itself right onto the little bear's head, and lifted it up, the faint metallic whirring drowned by a loud exclamation of joy from Rosa. "Uwaah, he's so cute!" Rosa picked up the little toy, hugging it tightly. Suddenly, a sharp flashback shot through Rosa's brain.

 _"You're nothing but a failure, Rosa!"_

 _Rosa clenched her fists tightly. There was no one else left to hold, not since Uutan's 'death'. She rushed out, wishing she could hug her soft toy to her chest, but there was nothing left to hold._

 _And then, a few hours later, standing over Beatrice's broken, wounded body, her dress covered with blood and the same horrible crimson liquid from all her visible orifices, and there was blood, blood everywhere, even some on Rosa's shoes, but mostly they were on her hands, that terrible, evil scarlet liquid all over her innocent hands, hands that drew pictures of princesses and knights and castles, that wrote short fantasy stories with a sparkly pen, hands that snuggled plushies and dressed her 'friends' up... And then, standing over her only friend's corpse, the smell of blood everywhere, little Ushiromiya Rosa was thankful that she didn't bring Uutan or even any of her other friends along, because she didn't want to dirty them with her bloodstained hands too..._

 _She never held any of them again._

"Ushiromiya-san!" Sora called, his voice coming from somewhere far, far away... "Eh?" Rosa was suddenly aware that she was back in the arcade, her fingers entwined in her hair, pulling so hard she thought she'd rip her sandy brown locks off. His hands were on both of her shoulders, shaking her gently. "Are you okay? What happened?!" Sora demanded, worry twisting his features. "What...happened?" Rosa breathed softly, dimly aware of her heart beating so hard she thought it'd explode. "You suddenly... Dropped the plush toy, then started to cry and pull your hair and whisper "it's my fault" over and over again until you just...froze." Sora said hesitantly. "I'm fine." She said automatically. Instead of answering, Sora enveloped Rosa's petite body in a tight embrace. "I'll be here for you, no matter what. Don't you ever, ever scare me like that ever again, Ushiromiya-san." He said into her hair, stroking it gently, almost lovingly. Rosa realized that she hadn't had one of these episodes in ages, her mental and emotional state already much better than during the first few weeks after the incident. She'd stopped having these abrupt visions for a while, and thought perhaps they'd gone away for good. Rosa found herself hugging Sora back, her face hidden in his chest.. Normally, she'd be embarassed, but right now, she couldn't care less.

"I'll take you home now. You should rest." Sora said concernedly. "N-no, I really am fine..." That was a lie. That image of Beatrice in her brain had drained her utterly, leaving her exhausted both mentally and physically. Usually after she had her episodes, she'd curl up in a ball and cry if she was at school, cover her head with her thick blanket and sob if she was at home, and excused herself to use the toilet if she was in the company of her family. However, when her sudden visions overcame her while in Sora's presence, he'd embrace her until it all went away. He was the only one who knew how tired Rosa was after those sudden episodes. He was the only one who cared. "I'm fine." She insisted, brushing back her messy bangs from her face. "I insist." Sora's tone had an edge to it that said "either I take you back peacefully or I take you back the hard way". Rosa swallowed, fingernails digging into her palm. The other customers were staring at them. "Let's just go." She mumbled. The ride back was quiet, neither of them saying a word to each other. That was good, anyway. Rosa was drowning in self-loathing, and didn't want to start crying again. It was her fault their day was ruined, her fault for being so pathetic, her fault that _Beatrice was dead._ Yes, it all came back to that. This was the weight of her cross. It was her fault. As though he could read her mind, Sora tentatively reached for her hand, lacing his fingers between hers'.

"Take this." He said once they'd reached the jetty. He didn't let go of her hand even after they got down from the bus. Sora let go of Rosa, and handed her the stuffed bear. She didn't even realize that he'd brought it with him. "I don't want it, it's okay." Rosa answered softly. "Just take it. It's a gift, you see?" With a grin, he pressed the little plush toy into Rosa's hands. "Thank you." She wasn't sure _why_ she did it, but she stepped closer to him, turned her face upwards, and gently pressed her lips to his cheek. This time, she wasn't the only one who was blushing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Second Love, Part 4**

"Hey." Rosa walked up to Sora, who was sitting at their usual spot, waiting for her. "I'm sorry." She apologized. He gave her a look of incredulous shock. "You don't need to apologize." He looked...hurt? Rosa spent the weekend being laughed at by Rudolf and Eva after she arrived back at the mansion a few hours earlier than she said she'd return, taking lots of medicine, and confining herself to her room. She couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty that she'd ruined something yet again. _Pathetic,_ Eva would say. _You can't do aaaaanything right at all! Are you even qualified to be a member of this family? All you do is screw up! You should just roll over and diiiiiiiie!_ Thank God Eva grew up and stopped being so malicious. Well, at least not to her. The way her sister treated Natsuhi, however, was a different story entirely... Even then, she was still pretty cruel. "Yeah, I..." The apology she spent the week writing and rehearsing had mysteriously vanished from her brain. "I told you, I'm your _friend_." He said exasperatedly, ruffling her bangs. Ever since that weekend when he told her she looked pretty, Rosa made the decision to wear her hair in a ponytail, as he'd given her a compliment for it.

"I care about you. It was completely alright. There's no need to be upseet." Sora sighed. Rosa turned pink, and looked down at her hands, hiding her face from him. "When are you graduating?" She asked, changing the subject. "In about a week." He answered, steadily avoiding her gaze. Rosa bit her lip. It was time to say goodbye to her best and only friend. "I'll still meet up with you, whenever I can. It's a promise." Sora stretched out his little finger like a small boy. Smiling even though she felt like she was about to cry, Rosa extended her own finger and hooked it onto his. "It's a promise." She repeated, trying not to cry. It really was over. He was leaving, and she'd have no one again. "Don't _cry_ , I'll start crying too." Sora laughed, gently wiping away the tears that had started to fall from Rosa's eyes. "I-I'm sorry..." She whispered, choking out a slight laugh. "I told you, enough apologizing." He laughed too.

Hastily, Rosa fished a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her eyes. Sora watched her attempt to stop the flow of tears and fail in silence. "Ushiromiya-san." He said after a long pause of silnce. "Hm?" Rosa answered, her stubborn streak kicking in, and helping her to successfully will herself to not cry. "How do I say this... Uh..."Sora ran one hand through his short hair, messing it up. "I, I um..." Rosa believed this was the first time he'd ever been unable to speak. "I..." He continued to stutter, turning redder and redder with each word. Finally, he sighed and spoke in English. "I l, l, _like_ you." Sora choked out, stumbling over the words, clearly not used to speaking English, turning away to hide his expression, leaving Rosa to mull over his words for a moment. Lucky for her, Kinzo was more Western-oriented, even giving his children _L-like...? Doesn't that mean... He..._ Rosa froze, her heart stopping. "I-I'm sorry, I-" Now it was _his_ turn to apologize. "Don't be." With a smile on her face and a warm, blissful feeling blossoming from her heart and spiralling around her body, Rosa finally understood what it was like to truly be happy. "I...like you too." She didn't say the actual l-word, becuase it was _just so embarassing_ , and Sora looked up, staring straight at her. "Really?" His violet eyes were full of hope. Rosa nodded. "Really." She wasn't sure why they were still speaking English, as neither of them were really used to the way the words felt, but she didn't mind. She didn't mind at all.

Their faces were moving closer, and he was close, so close, she could literally count his eyelashes, and she could feel herself melting, her heart thumping, her eyelids slowly closing as their lips met in a slightly awkward clash. Rosa scooted a little closer, resting her hands on his square shoulders, her lips still pressed against his. She felt Sora's hands sneak to her back and to her hair and-

"Hey!" Rosa pulled away, her hair tumbling down her back. Sora laughed, handing her the bow that kept it in a ponytail. "I think you look better like this." He ran his fingers through her hair lovingly. Rosa bit back the confused reply she was about to give him, and brushed her hair behind her ears. "Why do you... l-like... me?" She whispered, half-hoping he wouldn't hear her. "Because, you're beautiful. Not just on the outside, but the inside too. I know you've been through something horrible, and if you don't want to talk about it, it's alright. That's part of why I l... _love_ you. You're also the first girl I met who doesn't know how amazing she is. Most girls make sure guys know how smart, funny, or talented they are, but you don't seem to know that you're any of those things. I could tell you everything, but that'd take forever. I love you, Ushiromiya-san." Sora declared it almost proudly, steadily holding her gaze. After a long while of silence, Rosa just shook her head.

"No." She said. "No?" He repeated, perplexed. "No, call me Rosa." She said shyly, clumsily pressing her lips to his for a moment. "Rosa, then. Call me Sora." He smiled, gently stroking her soft locks of hair. "Sora...kun. Is that okay?" Rosa blushed lightly. "That's alright." Smiling, he enveloped her small frame in his arms and kissed her again. She placed her hands on his shoulders, closing her eyes. From then on, he didn't just hold her when she cried. He held her while she laughed, too. He held her when she broke down into a sobbing mess at her mother's funeral a few months later. He held her even while she screamed that this was her fault, that this was the price to pay for her sins of the past. He didn't let go when she spilled out her dark, bloodstained secret, only promising to hold her tighter. And he did.

 _Though a few years later, when he left to make his fortune, he left her with a broken promise to return to her, a child who took on her father's features, all the letters Rosa'd written to him, and his share of the debts they'd both been burdened with. "Where are you now?" She'd call out to him. "Where are you now, when our dreams finally came true, when our daughter needs you, when_ _ **I**_ _need you?"_

 _As she expected, there was no reply._

 _Even so, she knew she'd always, always, always, harbor feelings for him, her second and last love, and would love him for all eternity._

 _It took him so long to finally try to remove the stains Rosa's bloody hands, tainted with the sin of murder, had left on him. She'd spend nights alone, writing letters to him that he never received, and whispering to him, hoping that by some miracle he could hear her. Finally, she'd accepted it. The cruel reality of why he left._

 _After all, nobody wants to take a hand covered with blood._


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Hiya ! Just wanted to thank y'all for your continued support, especially to UnwrittenPage, whose amazing reviews make me really happy :') I'm gonna be busy for the next few days with exams, so I'll post 2 chapters today in case I don't have time tomorrow. Apologies in advance, please enjoy the story ~**_

 _Welcome back, my dear reader. Thank you for remaining by my side and continuing this journey with me *smiles* so, may I ask you for your thoughts on my little tales? *laughs* I am sure you are wondering if I am a human, a witch, a reader, or merely an observer? My apologies if I have deduced wrongly, and you have been just following the story as I have requested you to do so back when we first crossed paths. And if you have been curious, I will have to apologize once again, for I must disappoint you. For one is more likely to believe the words of a human than a witch, and I do not wish to cloud your vision with meaningless details. The words I speak are my own truth, and you may choose to accept it or not, as I have mentioned in the previous arcs. Come, let us not engage in pointless banter, and enter straight into the third story._

 **Chapter 8: A Brother's Gift, Part 1**

Ushiromiya Rudolf snored soundly in his bedroom, sleeping till noon on the weekends, as usual. Today was Saturday, and Rudolf was looking forward to a nice, long, lazy day of doing nothing. However, fate had other plans for him.

"Rudolf!" A sharp voice came from outside his door, followed by a loud knock. "Mmh..." Rudolf muttered sleepily, burrowing his face in his pillow. "Rudolf!" The voice was louder, but he didn't care, he was just so tired...

"RUDOLF!" Ushiromiya Eva barged into her younger brother's room unceremoniously, seating herself on the edge of his bed. " _Rudolf_! Wake _up_!" Eva shook Rudolf awake, much to his displeasure. "What is it?" Rudolf grumbled, yawning widely, exhaling his morning breath all over his older sister. Coughing, Eva shot Rudolf a glare so evil, Rosa had actually started to cry when her sister looked at her that way. Of course, that was 3 years ago, and she was now more... resistant to her sister's cruelty. "Have you seen that plush doll Rosa carries around?" Eva asked. "Aneki, you couldn't have woken me up some _other_ time to ask that?" Rudolf sighed at her.

"Idiot, do I look like I'd have time to talk to you? Rosa is downstairs now throwing a huge fuss about losing that stupid thing! I asked Krauss-niisan to try to calm her down while I go look for it. Have you seen it?" Eva snapped. Much to her surprise, Rudolf turned a nasty shade of dark red that literally screamed "I'M GUILTY!". "Well, it's a looooong story~" Rudolf grinned sheepishly and began to tell Eva what exactly happened to Rosa's plush toy.

 _Rosa was clutching her favorite stuffed toy that she carried around everywhere, playing with it in the rose garden, happily singing a song while moving the little doll's limbs. Rudolf watched from a distance, wondering_ _ **why on earth**_ _this 13-year-old girl, no, not just any girl, a member of the Ushiromiya family, still acted like such a_ _ **child**_ _. He frowned, shaking his head, suspecting that his baby sister may suffer from some mental illness. "Oh, Rudolf." Krauss walked up to him, standing next to Rudolf. "Yo, aniki." He grinned in response. "You're watching Rosa?" The disdain was evident in Krauss's voice. "Yeah. I'm thinking if we get rid of that_ _ **stupid**_ _doll she won't be a brat anymore." Rudolf mused, watching little Rosa dance with a stuffed toy, laughing joyfully. "Well, why don't you, then?" With a wink at his younger brother, Krauss left the other boy to ponder of his big brother's words._

 _The next morning, Rudolf crept into Rosa's room which was thankfully unlocked. He carefully prised the toy from the grip of her small hands, replacing its soft body with a pillow, and snuck away with Rosa's best friend in his large hand. He made his way to the rose garden, and stood there, trying to think of what to do with it. Rudolf had just settled on slapping a bow on it and giving it to a girl in his class, when the wind snatched the little toy from his hand, and blew it far, far away. As the doll was small and light, it rode the wind easily, landing in the ocean. "Oh, man..." Rudolf ran a hand through his hair, rumpling it. "I guess that works too." And he returned to his room to catch a few more hours of sleep._

Eva slapped her forehead with her palm, before giving Rudolf a hard whack right in the ribs. "Ow!" He groaned, rubbing his chest. Those martial arts classes Eva had been taking sure were effective. Maybe he'd take a few too, just to impress the girls in school... "Look what you did! Now Rosa is downstairs crying and screaming and it's all because you're an _idiot_! She wouldn't even carry that thing around if not for you!" Eva snarled angrily. Grinning crookedly, Rudolf looked Eva straight in the eye, ignored her last comment, and said "I bet you've wanted to do that for quite a while too, haven't you, aneki?" followed by a short wave of laughter. Her eye twitched as she tried to supress the anger building up inside her. "I would not." She said with as much dignity as she could muster. "Anyway, get dressed and meet us downstairs. It's your fault we're in this mess and it'll be _you_ who gets us out of it." And without further ado, Ushiromiya Eva stomped out of Rudolf's messy room, to go downstairs to tackle her little sister's tantrum. Rudolf watched his sister's retreating back with a grin. He knew Eva secretly loved her baby sister, despite her harsh attitude towards her. Likewise, he did love Rosa, but he was starting to feel irritated with her childishness. In fact, he suspected Krauss was the only one in the family who didn't feel any affection for the little girl with pigtails. Sighing, Rudolf rolled out of bed to get dressed and face the day.

 _Downstairs..._

"I can't find him! Torakichi, where are you?" Ushiromiya Rosa called, crawling on her hands and knees to inspect the space underneath the sofa. "Get off that disgraceful position, Rosa." Ushiromiya Krauss said disdainfully, half-heartedly looking around for his little sister's favorite toy. "Shut up, Krauss nii-san. You're not helping." Eva shot her big brother a glare, and knelt down on one knee, struggling to keep a lid on her temper and gave her crying sister a wide, partially forced smile, placing her hand on Rosa's shoulder. "Where did you last see Torakichi, Rosa?" She made her tone caring and as sweet as she could, covering her annoyance with sweet words. "He was... in Rosa's room." Rosa frowned. "Then why are you looking for him down here?" Eva was _this. Close._ to snapping. But she knew yelling at her sister would only make things worse, so she forced herself to remain calm. "Krauss onii-chan already looked there with me, and we asked Natsuhi onee-chan to help too." Rosa answered. _Torakichi, where are you?_ Rosa looked around frantically, girlish pigtails swishing with every direction she turned her head towards. Eva stifled a laugh, watching the short 13-year-old hunt for her only friend. Oh dear. _I bet having to look for this child's toy would make Natsuhi nee-san's headache get worse~ And she can't refuse either, with her headache as an excuse, not when Rosa is crying like that._ Eva giggled to herself. _I bet she's unhappy that as the wife of the head of the house, she has to do things like look for his little sister's missing plushy. Not to mention that Rosa's ranking is higher than hers', though she isn't old enough to understand what that means~_ Eva laughed out loud again, unaware of Krauss giving her a curious look.

"Eva-san." Natsuhi walked in, acknowledging Eva's presence with a nod. Eva's face lit up with a twisted grin. "Good morning, Natsuhi nee-san! Did you find Rosa's doll yet~?" As expected, Natsuhi's features hardened, obviously unhappy with having to partake in such a trivial task. "I have not. I've searched the whole morning, and even asked the servants to help out. None of them has seen it. If you'll excuse me, this whole business is giving me a headache." Natsuhi walked out of the room, massaging her temples exhaustedly. Rudolf bounded in at this moment, a wide grin plastered on his face. He'd finally decided on a way to make it up to Rosa. "So, Rosa, how did... Torakichi vanish from your room again?" Krauss asked. It was evident that she'd explained it to him before, yet he wasn't listening attentively. _What a bastard._ Eva thought, checking in vases that tiny Rosa couldn't reach. "I don't know... Rosa was sleeping with Torakichi, but when I woke up, he was missing." Rosa's small white hands fumbled through drawers, hunting all over for her precious plush doll. Rudolf's heart twisted with an uncharasteristic sense of guilt. Eva had a point. It _was_ his fault... But he was just doing that to try to make Rosa grow up and make some real friends... Right?

"Hey, Rosa." He knelt down like Eva had done moments ago, smiling a real, warm, if not rather guilty, smile. Thankfully, she was unable to read his emotions. "Torakichi has left the mansion to go be with the witch, you see. He has been a great friend, that's why the witch wants him. So why don't we go find you a new friend, okay?" Rudolf said gently. It wasn't much of a lie, and he could hear Eva and Krauss snorting in the background, but he completely disregarded it, because it was worth the scorn to see his little sister's face light up, the blotchy red covering her fair cheeks transforming into a pretty pink colour. "R-really?" The tears stopped falling from Rosa's wide brown eyes, her lips curved into a smile, clasping her hands together. "Yeah. Your big brother Rudolf will take you afterwards, okay? It's a promise." He stuck his pinkie finger out. "Promise! I love you, Rudolf onii-chan!" As the siblings shook their fingers together, Rudolf started to feel that maybe he should start being nicer to Rosa, who still loved him despite the many pranks he'd played on her over the years.

After lunch, Rudolf grabbed some money and stuffed it into the pocket of his pants. "Rosa? Are you ready? Let's go!" He called to Rosa, who dashed up to him, already dressed and prepared. "Let's go!~" Rosa repeated happily. It was the first time in weeks Rudolf onii-chan was being kind to her without wanting something in return, and it felt nice to finally be treated like something other than an object of amusement. Rudolf looked down at his baby sister almost amusedly. Even though she was 13, she still acted like a 9-year-old-kid. For once, he didn't feel irritated with her childish behaviour. Smiling, he took her tiny hand in his gently, squeezing it with an unusual sort of brotherly affection. He wasn't exactly certain _why_ he had decided to buy her another stuffed toy even though it was _his_ fault she carried one around, but he just went with it.

It's hard to ignore your own conscience, after all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: A Brother's Gift, Part 2**

 _5 October 1966_

"Rudolf onii-chan, where are you going?" Rosa asked curiously, as Rudolf doubled back to wink at a busty girl who had walked past them. "Eh? Uh, nothing. Ihihi~" Her brother grinned at her, without taking his eyes off the now blushing girl. "Eh? I-is that girl Rudolf onii-chan's friend?" Rosa continued to question him, peering over at the girl, who gave Rudolf a flirtatious wave. "Let's just go." He didn't think he could stand his little sister's questions anymore. Rudolf had taken her to the first toy shop he could find, but nothing in there had seemed to appeal to Rosa. He was starting to wish that he'd decided to bring her to the zoo again. Krauss and Eva could come along too, and in addition to going to a zoo, they got to make fun of Rosa together too. The initial warmth he'd felt towards his sister had soon faded, turning into immense annoyance, after he'd taken her to about 5 different shops and none of them had anything that Rosa seemed to like. Sure, she was interested in the dolls and plush toys, but none of them were the _one_ , the one she wanted to take home and love unconditionally.

"Ru-Rudolf onii-chan, are you angry?" Rosa asked softly, her eyes fixed on her feet. _I really don't want Rudolf onii-chan to be angry at me... We were supposed to be having fun, but it seems Rudolf onii-chan prefers to look at and talk to other girls instead of Rosa..._ Rudolf raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No, why?" He was impressed that Rosa, who cried whenever Eva so much as snapped at her, was able to be so sensitive to other people's moods. "Y-you look...unhappy. Rosa thinks Rudolf onii-chan looks better when he smiles." Rosa's sweet, innocent face broke into a radiant smile that lifted her brother's dark mood just a little. "Okay, okay. Shall we try that shop next?" Hastily changing the subject, Rudolf pointed towards another department store almost half-heartedly, plainly wearing his desire to return home on his face. Unfortunately, Rosa picked up on this emotion emanating from her older sibling, and she shook her head, girlish pigtails swaying with every movement. _I'm sorry, onii-chan. M-maybe Eva onee-chan was right, and Rosa really is stupid and worthless after all..._

"Actually... Rosa will go alone." 5 words that he'd never expected to hear his shy little baby sister (who still whimpered at the sight of Eva in a bad mood) say in a sentence made Rudolf stop in his tracks, surprised by her words, feeling partially guilty for the delight that had rose in him at her words. "What? Hey, if this is your way of leaving home..." Rosa shook her head obstinately. "No. Rudolf onii-chan has looked very unhappy a while already, and Rosa doesn't want to make Rudolf onii-chan angry! Rosa will go on her own!" She looked up at him, features hardened in determination. Vaguely, Rudolf suddenly had a mental image of his sister smiling up at him innocently, unaware that her brother was the one who accidentally got rid of her favorite plushy. _At least I owe it to Rosa, because it was my fault this whole thing happened. Heh... having thoughts like this, I must really be getting old..._

Rudolf knelt down to ruffle Rosa's hair gently. "Hey, hey. What kind of onii-chan do you think I'd be if I just left you here like this? Do you really think that bad of your brother? Oh, I'm so hurt!" Rudolf pressed his hand against his heart, making a face of false pain. As expected, little Rosa immediately began to protest. "I-it's not that!" She wailed, her hands balled into fists. Rudolf laughed, giving her a little poke in the side. "That tickles." Rosa giggled, shrinking away instinctively. "Oh, I see now! You're ticklish, huh? Ihihi~" Reaching out for her, Rudolf attempted to tickle his sister, but she dodged his outstretched hands, surprisingly nimble for someone who spent her days cooped up in her room playing with stuffed toys and dolls. "You're mean, Rudolf onii-chan!" The last time she said that to him was when he'd pulled her skirt up in front of a ton of people just for the heck of it. Rosa still found herself flushing in embarassment from that memory.

"C'mere." Grabbing his baby sister, Rudolf hoisted Rosa up to sit on his shoulders. She was so tiny she could've passed for a 9-year-old kid. "Yay! Riding with Rudolf onii-chan!~" Rosa sang happily, her small hands resting on his messy hair. "Come on, let's go~" While they walked, Rudolf complained loudly about how heavy Rosa was getting, exaggerating her weight and teasing her about eating too many sweets and getting fat. Rosa mainly laughed along with her brother, giving his hair a gentle, playful tug whenever he teased her. All of her siblings were rarely this nice to her, so Rosa made sure she'd treasure this day forever. Rudolf let her down in the toy section, Rosa eagerly jumping off his shoulders and running around to look for a toy. Rudolf hung around the side, keeping an eye out for cute girls while making sure Rosa's sandy brown hair and petite body was still nearby. "Rudolf onii-chan!" Rosa shot up to him, a stuffed doll in her hands. "Can I have this one? Can I, can I?" She held up the plushy for him to see. It was a rather plain-looking bunny doll, with two round buttons for eyes and an x-shaped mouth. It was soft, sure but nothing special. He didn't get _why_ Rosa had to pick _this_ one, when they passed by tons of other, much cuter plushies.

"Yeah, sure." He thought perhaps she'd picked it just because it was cheap. "Really?" Rosa exclaimed, brown eyes shining. "Yeah. Come on, let's go pay." As they walked towards the counter, Rosa patted the doll's head softly, speaking to it. Rudolf handed the pretty cashier the money with a flirtatious smile, before taking off with his baby sister. "I see, I see." Apparently, Rosa was deep in conversation with the doll now. "Rudolf onii-chan, this is Uutan! Uutan, say hi to Rudolf onii-chan!" Rosa made her voice a tad higher before speaking. "He-hello!" She put the plush toy in front of her face, stretching out its arm with her hand. Rudolf played along, grinning and shaking the bunny doll's hand. "Yo, I'm Rudolf. Nice to meet you." He walked in silence after that, listening to Rosa chatter animatedly to her stuffed doll. Smiling down at them, he watched her intently. There was so much affection in her eyes, that little doll may as well have been her boyfriend or something. _Of course. Trust Rosa to love something like that._ He reached down to pat her head in a brotherly fashion. Rosa smiled up at Rudolf, her small hand clutching his large one. _Uutan is extra special, because Uutan is a gift from Rudolf onii-chan._ "I love you, Rudolf onii-chan." She whispered, and could've sworn she heard him repeat the same words to her, only changing his name to hers'.

 _Afterchapter_

"Why can't you follow what you're told?" Krauss roared at Rosa, who shrunk back, whimpering. "You're a disgrace to the Ushiromiya family!" Eva added in disdain. Rosa was used to these cruel words from her eldest brother and sister, but somehow they still hurt every time they were hurled at her in that way. Rosa hugged her stuffed toy closer to her chest, fingers trembling. And then, Rudolf, the big brother who'd carried Rosa on his shoulders, laughing as they went shopping together, started too. "You'll always be a brat if you carry this thing around all the time! Give it here!" Roughly snatching the bunny doll out of Rosa's arms, which had tightened around it, as though trying to protect her precious toy. "See, Rosa's doll is deeeeeaaaaaad!" Rudolf ripped Uutan apart in front of Rosa's eyes, her siblings' cruel laughter echoing in her ears as little Rosa watched the scene in horror. Rudolf had brought Uutan into Rosa's life, and he'd taken the bunny doll out too. It seemed fitting, didn't it?

Rosa leaped forward, grabbing for her bunny doll that bled stuffing all over, tears leaking from her eyes.

They were right when they told her nothing lasted forever.

Especially not something like this.


	10. Chapter 10

_Welcome back, my dear reader. Did you rest well? Firstly of all, I congratulate you for making it to the 4th story, and the 10th chapter of our journey with me. Next, you may notice that the endings of my tales are rather dark, especially compared to the beginning. I must apologize, and thank you once again for not letting these dark conclusions steal you away from our path. There are still many more adventures we must undertake together, so let us not waste anymore time, and begin the next tale. This one is particularly short, and I sincerely hope that it is to your liking._

 **Chapter 10: The Great and Glorious One Winged Eagle**

"Ta-dah~" A smug Ushiromiya Rudolf sang, rolling up his pant leg to reveal the black One Winged Eagle inked upon his skin. "H-hey! _I_ got the tattoo first! You bastard, how dare you!" His older sister Ushiromiya Eva growled, whacking her brother across the face with her fan. Ushiromiya Rosa watched the scene from afar without much interest. Her tutor had just left a while ago, and Rosa wented to get some fresh air before heading back into the mansion to complete her work. Ever since she'd stopped school about a year or two ago (her mother had decided, not out of concern for her daughter, but for the image of the Ushiromiya family, that Rosa stop school, for her grades weren't excellent like Eva's, she wasn't respected like Krauss, and she didn't have any of Rudolf's confidence and responsibility. In short, she was a disgrace, and her mother did not want their family to appear anything less than perfect. Her mother never stated a reason for withdrawing her youngest daughter from school, causing rumors to fly everywhere. Right now, she was still taking lessons from the same tutor who had taught her since she was a child, but Rosa found it hard to be grateful or have any warm feelings towards him, ever since That Incident in 1967 happened.)

It was always fun watching Rudolf and Eva fight, but Rosa wasn't in too good of a mood, so she wasn't all too interested. Rudolf and Eva had bumped into each other at the rose garden, and Rudolf felt the need to show off his new tattoo. "You...!" Eva repeated, hitting Rudolf repeatedly with her fan. "Hey, calm _down_ , aneki, it's just a _tattoo_ , right- ow!" She jabbed the fan into his cheek roughly. "it's not _just_ a tattoo, _fool_." Eva spat, tucking a strand of stray orange hair behind her ear. "It is a symbol of the Ushiromiya family! Someone as useless as _you_ shouldn't be allowed to wear it!" Eva sneered. However, in the midst of her rage, Eva had forgotten one little detail. One very important little detail.

Rudolf burst into an explosion of loud, obnoxious laughter. Even Rosa covered her mouth with her hand, concealing her giggles, suddenly much more interested in the little scene unfolding in the midst of the splendid roses. "Uh...aneki?" Rudolf said in between waves of laughter. "What? And stop laughing like an idiot." Eva replied snippily. "You do remember that _I_ am your younger brother, and I'm also qualified to wear the One Winged Eagle?" To emphasize his point, Rudolf pointed at the One Winged Eagle that was indeed, embroidered upon his shirt. Eva's pink eye twitched dangerously. "I _know_ that, _fool_. What I meant was only _people who are qualified to be in the Ushiromiya family_." Eva growled. _So she hadn't forgotten Rudolf nii-san was her brother after all._ Rosa thought in amusement. "Why, what do you mean by that?" Rudolf said in mock surprise and hurt. Eva made an unpleasant noise between a shout and a growl, and gave up.

"Well, if you insist on having the One Winged Eagle tattooed on your worthless body, we may as well include all the siblings in this! Go, find Rosa and Krauss nii-san!" Eva snarled furiously, about to explode with rage. "Alright then! That's a great idea!" Rudolf grinned devilishly. "You little-" Eva began, but Rudolf had already spotted Rosa, who slunk into a shadowy corner, trying to avoid her brother, but Rudolf's sharp eyes caught sight of her slender figure. "Rosa!" Rudolf waved his younger sister over, a big grin on his face. "Oh no." The youngest Ushiromiya sibling muttered softly, slowly and reluctantly dragging her body towards Eva and Rudolf's direction.

"I assume you were listening to us since just now, Rosa~ After all, you're absolutely talentless in everything, even hiding." Eva sneered at her sister in a form of greeting. "Nice to see you too, Eva nee-san." Rosa mumbled, accustomed to her sister's cruel words. _I hate my sibings._ "So, what do you say? You get a tattoo too and we can all show off to aniki. Deal?" Rudolf grinned his most charming grin, even going so far as to give his younger sister a wink to accompany that (stupid) grin. Rosa contemplated this for a moment. On one hand, she didn't want to have anything inked on her body permanently, least of all a tie to this cursed family. Plus, Eva was always horrible to her and Rudolf had betrayed her more times than she could count. On the other, there was Krauss and his _stupid_ ego and his _riduculous_ need to show that he was far superior to everyone, when he wasn't. Rosa had dreamed of getting revenge on him for years, and now her chance had come. "How is this going to help us get even on Krauss nii-san?" Rosa asked sceptically.

Rudolf's grin widened. "Well, you see, me, aneki and you, three of us can show off our fantastic tattoos to aniki, who will surely get jealous and go brood or something. It's simple, really, and it'll enable all of us to get revenge on aniki, and all our plan requires is for the cooperation of my adorable baby sister." Rudolf reached out to ruffle Rosa's hair, and Rosa, irritated at being treated like a kid, batted his hand away, unaware that her face was scrunched up in a strangely adorable expression of annoyance. Eva sighed at Rosa. "Come on now, are you too scared to try~? You know, it's just a little tattoo, so if you're scared, I suppose you could just cry yourself to sleep, then just give up and diiiiiieeeeee~" Eva said, arrogance and disdain written all over her attractive features. It had been _years_ and yet she was still mocking Rosa with the same old insult. _I swear, one day I will rip out her tongue. I swear I will. One. Day._ Rosa thought to herself with gritted teeth. Throughout the years she'd wanted to tear her big sister's tongue out many, many, many times. Like during the time when Eva ruined her ninth birthday by making lots of mean comments on how Rosa had no friends to invite for a party. Or when Rosa was doing her homework and Eva suddenly asked her random questions that weren't included in her syllabus, and insulting her cruelly for not knowing the answer. (Rosa went to school during the day and took lessons from a tutor in the evening. Eva went through the same routine, though after her tutoring sessions ended, she headed straight to her room to cram more facts into her brain. Rosa much preferred to curl up with some tea and maybe even a good book and relax.) The situations were endless, really.

"Fine. I'll do it." Rosa said emotionlessly, flipping her sandy brown hair behind her back. "Hehehe, I _knew_ you would. Let's go tomorrow." Rudolf ruffled his sister's hair affectionately, much to Rosa's displeasure. With one last withering glance at Eva, Rosa walked away with a sigh. _I would rather not wear the symbol of this cursed family upon my skin, but I'd do anything,_ _ **anything**_ _at all to shut Eva nee-san up._

The next day, Rosa made an excuse to her tutor, saying that she had a serious headache, with Rudolf and Eva backing her up. He left after reassuring her it was alright, that she should take a break and rest. Rosa felt slightly guilty for lying to him, but that guilt soon evaporated, to be replaced by dread. She really didn't want to do this. She wasn't even sure _what_ propelled her to agree in the first place. Eva had told her to 'give up and die' so many times over the years, and though it still hurt, she usually didn't react to her sister's cruel remarks. "You're wearing _that_?" Eva asked in shock. "Yes." Rosa replied curtly. She was dressed in casual attire, _without_ the One Winged Eagle anywhere on her clothing. "Wear something else, will you?" Eva said bluntly, staring at her sister incredulously, as though unable to believe that Rosa actually wanted to wear something like that. _One day I_ _ **will**_ _rip_ __ _out her tongue, so Eva nee-san will shut her mouth for all eternity._

Rosa didn't feel like she had the energy to argue with her sister, so she just went back up to her room, changed into some summer clothes and just for the heck of it, adorned a small bow in her hair the way she always did when she was young. Rosa thought she looked riduculous, though that wasn't true. She'd gotten quite a fair share of the good looks that ran through the Ushiromiya family, and looked extremely pretty, with or without a fancy outfit. "Damn, if you weren't my baby sister, you'd make an excellent girlfriend." Rudolf remarked, grinning widely and stupidly. Rosa rolled her eyes. Eva jabbed Rudolf sharply in the ribs, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "vulgar fool". The siblings took a ferry to the mainland, where Eva led them to a tattoo parlour. On the way there, people kept staring at the trio. Initially, Rosa thought they were staring at her, because she looked stupid, but she realized everyone was actually staring at _Eva_ , who was attractive without even trying, and Rosa was cast into the sidelines again, overlooked and ignored.

She couldn't help it. Rosa was jealous of her big sister. The walk to the shop was surrounded by an awkward tension. Even Rudolf didn't dare to say anything. Upon entering the shop, the good-looking boy at the counter's face lit up. "Oh, Eva-san!" He said in greeting. Great, yet _another_ person who knew and loved Eva. Ushiromiya Eva was beautiful, striking, smart, witty and admirable. Of course, no one _ever_ noticed little Ushiromiya Rosa with her brown hair combed neatly and her body size small and skinny compared to her big sister's perfect figure. Rosa had always been jealous of Eva. She couldn't deny it. And the worst part was that Eva _knew_ of her envy, and exploited it the best she could, finding new ways to ruin Rosa's life. "Hello there, Takumi-san." Eva said breezily and vaguely flirtatiously, winking at the boy with, at second glance, strangely Western features. "Good to see you again too, Rudolf-san." The good-looking boy, who now had a name, smiled at Rudolf. _Everyone knows them. Everyone. I'm just_ _ **Rosa**_ _, their annoying baby sister._

"And who's this adorable kid?" Takumi looked about 19, not much older than Rosa herself. He smiled at Rosa, who didn't return his friendly gesture. She would've been much more pleasant had it not been for his somewhat condescending tone. Rosa _was_ a teenage kid, and was bound to have teenager-like overreactions. "I'm not a _kid_." Rosa said coldly. She shot him a cold glare that made even Eva raise her eyebrows a little. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Takumi seemed to find Rosa's irritation amusing, which annoyed her even more. "This is my _adorable_ kid sister Rosa." Rudolf reached out to ruffle Rosa's neatly brushed hair. She swiftly dodged her older brother's 'affection', annoyance written all over her face. "Ah, I see. So what can I do for you three?" Takumi asked. "Rosa's getting a tattoo like ours'." Eva said cheerfully, rolling up her sleeve to show her tattoo off.

"Ahh, I see. So where do you want me to draw it, Rosa-san?" Takumi asked, looking straight at Rosa. She felt herself blush unwillingly at the attention. Hesitantly, she drew her skirt up a little, exposing her smooth legs to a boy she barely knew. "R-right here is fine." Rosa extended her index finger and indicated a spot somewhere mid-thigh, her finger trembling slightly. "Okay. This may hurt a little." Takumi grabbed a syringe and injected a numbing agent into Rosa's leg. The youngest Ushiromiya couldn't help but wince slightly at the sting of the needle piercing her flesh. Rudolf rolled his eyes. "Grow up, Rosa. Don't tell me you're still scared of needles at this age?" He poked Rosa, who muttered a few curses under her breath. "Here we go~" Takumi picked up the evil-lookig needle, and placed the tip against Rosa's creamy skin.

To say it hurt would be a huge understatemnt. Even with the numbing agent injected into her flesh, the needle seared her skin wherever it contacted in, leaving black designs behind. James drew carefully, intent on making the drawing perfect. Rosa had to squeeze her eyes shut and clench her fists to keep from crying out in pain. "What the hell, Rooosa?! You can't even take something like this?" Eva jeered, shaking her head in mock disappointment. "You're such a _disgrace_." Same old insults. Same old person spitting them at the same old pathetic 'child'. Same old wounds reopened with every syllable. "You're doing well, Rosa-san." Surprisingly, the annoying tattoo artist chimed in to the conversation, giving her a quick smile. "Usually people start shouting by now but you're doing really well. Your siblings are inhuman, I tell you. They didn't react at all. In fact, Eva-san kept up a conversation with me the whole time." He laughed. _Yes, of coooourse. Eva nee-san and Rudolf nii-san aren't_ _ **human**_ _, they're demons who serve to torment me. Of_ _ **course**_ _Eva nee-san didn't scream or show any signs of pain, she's too_ _ **perfect**_ _for that._

"Done." Finally the needle was removed from Rosa's stinging skin. There was a black One Winged Eagle inked upon her skin beautifully, the dark design contrasting nicely against her fair skin. "Wow, not bad, Takumi-san~ Though I feel that the one you did for me was _much_ nicer." Eva laughed while admiring his work. "Hehe, though the design I did for you was nicer, I still think Rosa-san's tattoo looks better." He grinned back at her. "Oh? And why is that?" Eva leaned forward interestedly. "Because Rosa-san is much prettier than you, Eva-san." Takumi laughed good-naturedly, and so did Eva and Rudolf. Rosa forced out a laugh too, though her mind was racing. _Did he really mean that or did he say that just to joke with Eva nee-san...?_ She was still a little bit naive, even though she'd suffered through many, many horrible experiences. "Well, we really _must_ be going. See you later, then~" Eva waved goodbye, and Rudolf bade him farewell as well.

"See you, Rosa-san." The good-looking tattoo artist ignored Rosa's siblings, and gave her a wink and a smile as a parting gift. Rosa turned an obvious shade of beet red, but tried to hide her embarassment anyway. "Goodbye." Rosa said with as much dignity and indifference as she could muster, trying to stop a shy smile from spreading across her face. She didn't stop blushing even after they left. _It_ _ **was**_ _nice to be noticed for once, even though it was just an idiot who acknowledged me..._ Of course, her red face did not go unnoticed by her siblings. "It appears our little Rosa has a crush." Rudolf laughed obnoxiously, Eva joining in with a few cackles of her own. Rosa just smiled and let them laugh. It _was_ worth it, after all.

 _1 week later_

Ushiromiya Eva was happily enjoying the soup prepared by the family's chef. She was in an unusally good mood, and even made pleasant conversation with her little sister that she constantly scorned, and went the whole day without throwing insults at anyone. That pleasant mood of Eva's didn't last long, though. Ushiromiya Krauss marched into the dining hall, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and long pants. And on his right forearm, there was...

"Krauss nii-san! How _dare_ you!" Eva snarled at her big brother, who simply laughed and flicked his eyes towards the dark One Winged Eagle inked upon his forearm. "But Rudolf and Rosa have one too, why should _I_ be left out of the loop~?" Krauss chuckled and took his seat next to Rudolf, who was trying not to laugh at the expression of pure rage on his big sister's face. Rosa was torn between amusement and frustration. Amusement at having their plan backfire on them so horribly, and frustration at having let herself through such a painful experience for nothing, and for giving her first crush away to an insolent idiot. She looked across at her siblings. Krauss and Eva were now engaged in a shouting match, Krauss bearing an amused expression on his face and Eva shooting daggers at her brother with her eyes. Rudolf was no help either, quietly dropping comments into the fight that served to infuriate Eva even more. Rosa just sighed. _Clearly_ she shouldn't have agreed to their stupid plan. This was _not_ worth it, _at all_.

 **End**

 _So, my dearest reader, how did you like this arc~? I do apologize, for it was a little longer than I intended for it to be~ By the way, my dear reader, do you remember the previous arc, in which Rosa met the man who would end up leaving her while she carried his child~? I have mentioned Rosa's first love, who ended up shattering her heart into little fragments? ...No? I am not surprised, for I, a xxxxxx tend to remember things better than other xxxxxxxxs~ I must still conceal my true form, for fear that the truth about me will distort your vision~ My most sincere apologies. Take a rest, my beloved reader, and come join me in the next tale after you are refreshed. I shall impatiently await your arrival while enjoying a cup of black tea~ *giggle*giggle*_


	11. Chapter 11

_Welcome back, my dearest reader. This arc is a particularly unique one, and I would like to share it with you. I have added the date while writing this, so as to make sure you are not confused. *smiles* There are such things as miracles: incidents that only happen twice or even once in the sea of fragments. The chances of the following incident happening are so low that no one, human or witch, would ever have thought it would occur. Yet, that incident pateintly awaits someone (a Voyager witch, perhaps?) to bear witness to it. However, this particular frgament is still quietly floating amongst the infinte kakera, waiting to be discovered. Come now, me and all the pieces in this game impatiently await you to uncover this tragedy~ *giggle*giggle*_

 **Chapter 11: The End Of The World, Part 1**

 _13 August 1986_

The phone in Ushiromiya Rosa's office rang loudly, startling the exhausted woman behind the large, cluttered desk. Rosa composed herself, and cautiously picked up the phone. "H-hello?" She answered in as steady a voice as she could. "Good afternoon, is this miss Ushiromiya Rosa?" A man's voice sounded from the other line. "Yes, I am Ushiromiya Rosa. May I know who is speaking?" Rosa answered politely. "Ushiromiya-san, this is Yamamoto speaking." Ahh, a client of hers'. Either this would end very well or end extremely horribly. "Yes, Yamamoto-san?" Rosa said anxiously, digging her fingernails into her palm. "It is to my utmost regret to inform you that we will no longer be buying the stock from your company. The boss doesn't seem to like Western-style clothing very much, so we were forced to cancel the deal. I shall send a representative over to talk things over tomorrow, perhaps at 4 o' clock?" The man spoke tonelessly, as though he couldn't care less. Rosa, on the other hand, was about to lose it and dissolve into tears. Her fingernails had drawn blood from her own palm, but Rosa just let the blood flow and dirty her fingernails. "Alright. I am sorry to hear that. I shall meet with your representative tomorrow at 4 then. Goodbye." Though her voice shook, Rosa was proud that it didn't break while she spoke. She hung up, before letting her head fall on her desk with a hard _thump_.

Ignoring the paperwork beneath her face, Rosa's shoulders started to heave with sobs, tears dripping from her brown eyes onto her reports. _Oh, what did it matter? Let all this disappear, let it all get destroyed! There's no point anyways._ Rosa cried into the expensive wood of her desk, her tears already soaked through the thin paper. Rosa's company wasn't doing very well of late. It wasn't because her designs weren't nice or that Rosa wasn't a good advertiser, but it was just that Western-style clothes weren't very popular of late. _This_ latest client had come along and bought a large amount of her company's stock for some show or something, delighting Rosa to no end. And now that the deal was cancelled, Rosa was back to square one again. Paying back her debts was taking too long, and at this rate, she feared she'd never settle them. It wasn't entirely her fault, though. After all, 'that man' had co-signed on the loan with her, and when he left, she was forced to take on his debts as well. Though it was unfair, Rosa had continued working hard to pay off the huge debts, hoping that that would make him return to Maria, his daughter, and to her, his desperate partner. _You're useless, you're pathetic, how about you just die already? You let everyone push you around, you let your siblings bully you, you let that man get away from you, perhaps you should just end your miserable existence already._ Rosa had many boyfriends over the years he'd left her alone, but none of them could fill the void he left in her heart. Plus, no man wanted a woman with a child created by another man.

Speaking of boyfriends, Rosa rummaged through her desk drawer and pulled out a slightly crumpled letter, written to her from her last boyfriend. Or, to be precise, _ex_ -boyfriend. The contents of the letter made it certain that he wanted nothing to do with her anymore, and was leaving Rosa for another woman. She balled up the paper in her fist, and tossed it at the rubbish bin near her desk. It bounced off the wall, landing just beside it. Rosa sighed and rubbed her eyes, still sobbing lightly. _Pull yourself together, Rosa. You can get through this. It's just_ _ **one**_ _client. One very important client... Now all the extra clothes we've been rapidly creating was all for nothing. That just increases the amount of my debts, doesn't it..._ She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "It's all useless." Rosa mumbled unhappily, wiping away the tears trickling down her fair cheeks with the back of her hand. She called her assistant, dialing his number with trembling fingers. "Hello, Akiyama-kun? I'll be leaving now, so I'll leave you in charge for today." Rosa said curtly. "Alright. Is everything alright, president?" Her assistant questioned. "I've got a headache, so I'm going home. I can count on you. See you tomorrow." And with that, Rosa hung up and dumped all her paperwork into a briefcase. She rushed out of the office, her head throbbing. On her way down, her assistant caught her in the lift. "Ah, there you are. Lucky me I caught you before you went home. This arrived for you from the bank just now." He handed her a letter, which Rosa grabbed, muttering a feverish thanks. The second the lift arrived at the ground floor, Rosa dashed out of the building, ignoring the stares she got from her employees. She got onto a train, wanting to go home desperately, every passing second feeling like a millenium. She pressed her hand against her forehead, feeling like she might pass out at any moment.

Upon reaching her station, Rosa staggered out, running home as fast as she could, her head feeling like it was about to explode. "Mama?" Maria called, hearing Rosa's footsteps approach. "Maria." Rosa smiled weakly at her daughter. "Mama! Are you alright?!" Maria dropped her crayons on the drawing she'd been working hard at, rushing to her mother's side. "Uu, Maria will go get Mama some medicine! Mama, just wait here, Maria will be back, uu!" The little girl dashed off to the kitchen and returned with a glass of chilled vegetable juice and some painkillers. "Thank you, Maria." Rosa smiled gratefully at her precious child, swallowing the pills and draining the glass of juice. The apocalyptic pain engulfing her brain dimmed slightly, her child's love helping to soothe the apocalyptic ache in her head.

"I love you, Maria." Rosa hugged her daughter tightly, crying into her soft hair. "Uu, Maria loves Mama too, don't cry Mama, Maria thinks Mama looks prettier when Mama is smiling, uu, uu!" The little girl snuggled her face into her mother's chest affectionately. Rosa just smiled and embraced her daughter tightly. "Hey, Maria, Mama will go bathe first, okay? After that, we can make dinner together or something." Rosa suggested, petting Maria's head gently. "Uu, make dinner with Mama, uu, uu!" Maria sang joyfully and released her mother from her arms. The upside-down artwork on the floor drew Rosa's eye. "What'd you draw, Maria?" Rosa asked. "Uu, Maria drew Beato!" The child proudly picked up the drawing to show her mother. "It isn't as nice as the one Virgilia-san drew for me... But Maria is working hard to draw Beatrice properly, uu, uu!" She cheered. The drawing depicted a blonde woman sitting at a table sipping tea from a teacup, wearing an ornate gown and a friendly smile. She was...

"No...!" Rosa shrieked, covering her ears with her hands. But what she needed to cover wasn't her ears. She wanted to cover her eyes, and her nose, for all she saw was the broken body of a beautiful woman with elegant blonde hair coiled into an intricate bun, blood splattering the front of her gown, the back of her head cracked open like an eggshell. She could smell the sea breeze tinged with the smell of her first and last friend's blood. And on her hands, the smell of blood was the strongest. Though none of the red liquid had splashed onto Rosa's delicate hands, they remained covered by it nonetheless. "No, no, no!" She fell to her knees, her eyes squeezed shut. The somewhat realistic art of the woman she'd killed 20 years ago triggered a long-dormant fear in Rosa's brain. She managed not to freak out when the large portrait of Beatrice was placed in the mansion, but that was mainly because the portrait depicted her as a wise, somewhat cunning, powerful witch. The Beatrice _she_ knew was rather pompous, arrogant, yet childish, and also naive. Beatrice was wearing the exact same smile as the drawing in Maria's notebook, making the witch her daughter drew look _just_ like the strange woman her mother met 20 years ago.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Maria asked, panic creeping into her voice. Rosa swiped out at her daughter with her hand, knocking her to the floor. " _I told you to stop talking about witches_." Rosa growled, the pain in her head intensifying by the second. "Mama's not feeling well now. Why must you defy Mama's words?! I said _don't talk about witches_. _All you do is talk about witches_. Because of you, even _I'm_ treated like a freak." She didn't think she could say anymore without passing out. Maria clutched at her head, whimpering. "Uu, Mama, come back... Don't get taken over by the black witch..." Maria whispered. "I told you to _stop talking about witches_!" Rosa snarled, hitting her daughter again. Maria cried out in pain, curling into a ball. Another surge of pain seized her brain, making Rosa whimper in pain. _Pathetic_. Rosa stumbled to her bedroom to grab some clothes, then staggered back to the bathroom, barely making it to the bathtub before collapsing onto the floor. Then, the realization of what she had just done sank in, and it was Rosa's turn to whimper and clutch at her head. "Oh, what have I done?" She whispered sadly. "I'm just a failure, aren't I? As a mother, as a businesswoman, even as a lover... I should just disappear, shouldn't I?" She started to cry again. _All you can do is cry. Stupid. Pathetic. Worthless._

She started up the bath miserably, stripping down and soaking her body in the soothing warm water. The painkillers started to kick in, and Rosa's pounding headache faded to a faint throb. She sighed, the hot water calming her down considerably. Running one hand through her wet hair, she made a mental list of things to do after this. _First, apologize to Maria, then arrange the meeting tomorrow, then maybe watch some TV with Maria before going to sleep._ After a good 15 minutes of sitting around and thinking, Rosa got out of the bath, dried herself and put on her clothes, pulling the plug and watching the hot water and soap bubbles go down the drain. She folded her work clothes neatly and tossed them onto her bed after heading out of the bathroom. The smell of something cooking drifted around the house, and Rosa felt a twinge of guilt in her chest.

"Maria." She said upon entering the kitchen, the adorable sight of her daughter standing on a chair to reach the stove stirring a pot made another quick stab of guilt pierce Rosa's heart. "Uu, h-hello Mama." Maria gave her mother a bright smile despite the red marks on her cheek from being knocked to the floor. Rosa went over to her daughter and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry Maria, Mama is so, so sorry. Does it still hurt?" She pulled back to examine the red marks on the child's fair cheeks. "Uu, it still hurts a little... But Maria doesn't mind, since Mama defeated the black witch and came back to Maria, uu, uu!" Maria cheered happily, wrapping her mother's torso in her short arms. "Yeah, forgive your weak Mama for being taken over by the black witch..." Rosa didn't cry as she held her daughter. She'd done enough crying already. "Let's make dinner together, okay Maria?" Rosa smiled warmly, stroking Maria's hair. "Uu, make dinner with Mama~! Maria loves Mama, uu, uu!" The little girl sang, an expression of pure joy tugging at Maria's facial features. "Mama loves Maria too. So, what shall we make?" Rosa walked over to the fridge while Maria continued to stir the pot.

"Uu, Maria was making miso soup... But what else to make? Uu..." Maria frowned. "Maybe we could cook some side dishes?" Rosa suggested, pulling some ingredients out of the refridgerator, the fact that she was asking her daughter about dinner amusing her immensely. "Uu!" Maria called out affirmatively, stirring the pot more and more vigorously. After Rosa and Maria finished cooking, they took their meal out to the TV where they watched several shows while eating and talking. Rosa insisted that she wash up, and that Maria go take a bath first. She scrubbed the dishes wearily, wondering how her daughter managed to do this all the time. _She's used to it because you weren't there._ A nasty voice in Rosa's head that sounded suspiciously like Eva when she was younger chimed in, making her fingers tighten around the sponge. A sudden, horrible realization that that voice was just the same voice that was whispering to her since the start of her terrible evening dawned over her. _Stop it._ There was no point scolding herself. What she should do was actually _be there for her daughter._

Rosa finished washing the plates and cutlery, then changed into blue pajamas. Armed with a glass of water and some headache pills, she opened her briefcase and yanked out a few documents. First, she fished out the letter she'd gotten from Akiyama, tearing it open unceremoniously. The message informed her that as the loan guarantor for 'that man', she would have to assemble 100 million yen by March in order to settle his loans. 100 million yen. The only thing that stood between her and her new life without the burden of 'that man' consttantly breathing down her neck. Rosa cradled her head in her hands, letting the distress and unhappiness wash over her. _100 million yen by March, huh?_ A thought suddenly struck Rosa, and she rummaged around for a fresh sheet of paper. Uncapping her pen, Rosa placed the tip against the paper, and started to write.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: The End Of The World, Part 2**

 _20 August 1986_

 _I'm sorry you were the one who had to receive this, Rudolf nii-san. But amongst you, Eva nee-san, and Krauss nii-san, you were the one who was always the nicest to me, even though you did do plenty of terrible things to me when we were younger... But I also chose you because I think you wouldn't start sneering at me and/or tear this message up. Enclosed here is a confession of my sins and all my deepest, darkest thoughts. I'm going to confess before I leave, and perhaps be allowed a second chance at redemption. Everything is enclosed in the second envelope within this one._

 _Anyway, back to the main point. By the time you read this, I should be dead. Yes. I, Ushiromiya Rosa, jumped off the building of my own company on the 26th of August, at precisely 11 pm, in 1986. It'll give me enough time to relfect on my sins and brace myself for the jump. Seems fitting that my life ends there, don't you think? And you all always said I had no guts... I'm sure it was thrilling, feeling the wind rush through my hair, and feeling free, just like a seagull, the way I wanted to fly away when I was young~ *giggle*_

 _I didn't write this to you to just say goodbye. I want you to handle the distribution of all my assets. The bit of money I still have, my house, and even the loans I cosigned on. All the money will go to Maria, and the loans shall be returned to 'that man'. I'm sure you'll find a way to contact him, the way I couldn't._

 _I also wrote this letter to you to explain why I did it. See, things haven't been going so well. The company has been floundering more and more than usual, resulting in lots of headaches and even fevers on my part. As a result of that, I keep hitting Maria. I hit her every night. Then I look at my hand and her face, and I see the same color of red and I just want to scream, to die, to vanish from this earth. I'm such a horrible mother, a horrible businesswoman, even a horrible lover. 'That man' never loved me. No one else wanted me after that. I'm worthless. Useless. Pathetic. Stupid._

 _After I end my worthless life, would you please take care of Maria for me? Give her a happy life full of love. Don't neglect her the way I did. Treat her well. I'll be watching from hell, okay? *giggle* It gets so lonely at night, to be honest. Though I shouldn't, I miss 'that man', and I can't bring any of my boyfriends home, because I don't think he'd react very well to Maria... And, your younger sister has no boyfriend anyway. He left me, just like all the others did. You were right, weren't you, when you told me when we were young that no man would ever love someone like me? *laugh* And, I have a final request. Please, never, ever let Maria see my body. Let the last image of her Mama be a memory of me smiling at her, telling her I love her. Don't let her see her Mama with limbs twisted the wrong way, and her skull cracked open with blood everywhere._

 _I guess you all were right after all. I am a coward. I can't stand this. I can't take the stress and loneliness anymore. All I can do to release all the anger and depression building up inside me is hitting my daughter. My precious daughter...my only ally in the world. And this is how I repay her. Eva nee-san was right. I really don't deserve to live, do I? So now I'm following her advice. I'm going to "give up and die". *giggle*_

 _May we never meet again in hell, Rudolf nii-san._

 _-Ushiromiya Rosa._

Rosa put down her pen and reread the letter several times. Things had gotten so bad lately Rosa just wanted to kill herself. Every day, that voice would whisper poisonous words into her ear, a voice she couldn't block out no matter what. That voice would speak to her about how miserable and pointless her existence was, and would whisper sweet, sweet lies about how beautiful death would be, how there would be no more struggling through hell. Finally, the last of Rosa's mental strength crumbled, and she surrendered to the voice in her head. She'll end her pathetic existence, and give her daughter a better life, and then there'll also be more of the inheritance to go around. It was the perfect deal. Trade in her life for Maria's to get better. Rosa folded the letter, carefully slipped it into an envelope and wrote her brother's address in the top corner in her small, neat handwriting. She pushed her bangs back with one hand. _It'll end soon._ Rosa placed the normal-looking letter on the corner of her desk and packed up her documents.

"Uu, Mama?" Maria appeared at the doorway, clad in cute pink pajamas and holding a stuffed toy. "Maria, shouldn't you be asleep? You have school tomorrow." Rosa rose from her seat to meet her daughter. "Uu, Maria can't sleep, because Mama is awake, and Maria can tell that Mama is unhappy, uu..." Maria said truthfully. Rosa let out a short laugh. Her daughter was so thoughtful she couldn't help but ruffle her hair as though she was 5 years old. "Mama's alright, Maria. Go back to sleep. Mama will be there to tuck you in in a short while, okay?" Rosa knelt down and kissed Maria's forehead. "Uu, Maria wants to stay here with Mama. Maria saw Mama crying alone earlier and Maria wants to be here with Mama if Mama is sad, uu, uu!" For once Maria's incessant "uu, uu" didn't grate on Rosa's nerves. If anything, her child's verbal tic helped to soothe her mood.

"Okay, okay, I understand. Mama will clean up then we'll sleep together, okay?" Rosa smiled. "Uu, sleep with Mama! Maria will wait, uu, uu!" Maria cheered joyfully. Rosa cleaned the papers on her desk, but left the letter for her brother on the corner of it. "Let's go." Leading her daughter by the hand, they went to Maria's room, which was overcrowdede with stuffed toys, and snuggled together in the comfortable bed, Maria falling asleep in her mother's arms.

The next day, after school, Maria skipped home to find her mother already at home. "Uu, I'm back!" Maria called, removing her shoes. "Hello, Maria. How was school?" Rosa looked up from her work to greet the child. "Uu, it was okay... Why is Mama home? Did something happen?" Maria asked concernedly. "Everything's alright, Maria. Mama just needs to pay these bills then Mama will go back to the office already." Rosa explained patiently. Maria's spirits fell. She was rather hoping that her mother would stay home and play with her or something. "Uu, good luck with work, Mama! Maria won't bother you, so do your best, Mama, uu, uu!" Maria sang happily. "Thanks, Maria." Rosa finished addressing the last bill, then sealed the envelope neatly. "Hey, Maria, do you mind taking these to the post office for Mama? I'll give you some money to buy home some ice cream or candy." Rosa stacked the letters on the edge of her table, and dug into her purse for some money. "Uu, Maria will help Mama mail the letters!" Maria said. "Alright, here. Mama's got to go back to work. I love you, Maria." Rosa handed Maria some money and kissed her forehead before heading out, back to the hell of her office.

"Uu, post letters for Mama, uu, uu~" Maria collected the letters Rosa had stacked, then noticed one more lying on the corner of her table. She picked it up, thinking she must've dropped it, and dashed off to the post office, one arm carrying her mother's letters and the other clutching the money Rosa gave her. That night and the night after that, Rosa was too exhausted to come home from work, and fell asleep on her desk. The night after those two, she returned only to fall asleep as soon as she showered, going to bed even without eating dinner. She felt more and more drained by the day, barely finding the strength to stumble home with a pounding headache, the dark whispers slowly sucking all her energy, and soon, her life, out of her. She spent the days after that off, writing letters to the bank and loan officers, returning all the debts 'that man' had given her back to him.

Finally, the day before the incident was about to take place, Rosa took the day off to pick Maria up after school, and brought her to a theme park to play. She wanted to spend one last day with her daughter, to shower as much love as she could on her before she left. After returning home, Rosa noticed the letter wasn't on the table, and dismissed it, assuming that she'd stuffed it in a drawer or something. "Good night, Maria." Rosa said softly, pressing her lips against her daughter's forehead, closing her eyes so the tears wouldn't overflow. "I love you." She whispered, stroking strands of Maria's soft brown hair out of her face.

 _26th August 1986_

Rosa walked Maria to school, hand-in-hand, talking, smiling and laughing. "Uu, I love you Mama!" Maria said upon reaching the school gates, hugging Rosa. "I love you too, Maria. Mama really does love you. Don't forget that, okay?" She hugged her daughter back tightly, one final time.

She proceeded to drop a hasty sick-message to her assistant, who she'd put in charge of the company whenever she didn't feel well. After that, Rosa went to a toy shop to buy Maria a stuffed doll to discover when she got home; her mother's final present to her. She carefully placed it on Maria's bed, adorning a soft pink bow around its neck. _Maria would love it, I'm sure of it._ Rosa smiled and shut the door to Maria's room. _Now, where is that letter?_ She wondered, and was about to go look for it when something stopped her. _It'd be more fun to have Rudolf nii-san suddenly discover it... Though I think it would be Kyrie nee-san who finds it, she always_ _ **was**_ _a lot more observant than Rudolf nii-san..._ Rosa giggled to herself and headed out of her house. "Bye, then." She said, her eyes sweeping through the place one last time.

 _Elsewhere..._

"Kyrie! Look at this!" Ushiromiya Rudolf burst into the room where Kyrie was working, and thrusted a letter straight at his wife. "What is this?" Kyrie grabbed the sheet of paper from him, her eyes widening at every word. "Oh dear, it looks like Rosa-san is going through some very difficult times... And she plans to commit suicide...wait, what's the date today?" She frowned. "It's the 26th!" Rudolf said in clear agitation. Being an incredibly intelligent woman, Kyrie was out the door before he even finished his sentence.

 _On the roof of the company Anti-Rosa..._

Ushiromiya Rosa took another drink from the bottle of vodka next to her, letting the alcohol sear her throat. She didn't usually take Western drinks, but apparently Western drinks contained a lot more alcohol than Japanese sake did. She bought the liquor in case she got scared at the last minute, so perhaps the alcohol in her system would help her fling her ( _worthless_ ) body off the building. She also purchased a pack of cigarettes just for the heck of it. Her other hand brought her lit cigarette to her lips. Rosa inhaled deeply, coughing on the smoke before letting it all out again. It was rather unpleasant at first, but after going through her third cigarette, the smoke started to feel less and less horrible as it filled her lungs. Rosa was dressed in the outfit she wore to the annual family conference, and was sitting at the edge of the building, legs swinging dangerously over the city. _It's 9 now. In a while, this will be over. And perhaps I will be allowed to apologize to Beatrice, if I'm ever permitted to see her before entering hell._

 _Rosa's home_

"Uu, Aunt Kyrie?" Little Ushiromiya Maria said upon opening the door. "Hello, Maria-chan. Is Rosa-san in?" Kyrie said. "Uu, Mama's working now, Mama says she's very busy, uu..." Maria said a little sadly. "Oh, I got it. Thank you. May I borrow your telephone?" She asked. "Uu, you can!" Maria led Kyrie into the house, past the dinner table with an unfinished meal and a few stuffed toys seated around the plate as well, to the telephone in Rosa's study. "My, this place is a mess." The older woman noted, her sharp eyes taking in the untidy state of the place. Papers were strewn everywhere, and the bin was overflowing with rubbish.

Kyrie picked up the receiver and dialed Rudolf's house number. "Rudolf? It's me. Rosa-san isn't home. Alert Eva nee-san and ask her to go to Rosa-san's office immediately. We need to get someone there as quickly as possible." Kyrie said, covering her mouth to make sure Maria didn't hear her words. "Got it. I'll get aneki and her family, and if I can, Battler, too..." Rudolf spoke into the telephone in his end. "Okay. See you there." Kyrie hung up and smiled sweetly at Maria. "Your aunt Kyrie will go and visit your Mama at work, just to make sure she's okay." She explained. "Uu, tell Mama that Maria loves Mama, and that to do her best at work! Uu, uu!" She sang happily. Kyrie smiled sadly at the little girl. _If only she knew._ "I promise."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 14: The End Of The World, Part 3**

 _26th August 1986_

"What do you want?" Ushiromiya Battler said rudely, after picking up the phone. When he first realized that it was Rudolf who called, Battler hung up unceremoniously, and had only decided to hear the old bastard out after what seemed like the thousandth call from him. "Hi, Battler, your dad here. I'm calling because I need...a favor." Rudolf said hesitantly. "Huh?! A favor?! Why should I do _you_ any favors?!" Battler spat. "N-not for me... For my sister. Your aunt Rosa." That perked Battler's interest. "Rosa oba-san? What does she have to do with this?" He asked curiously. "I believe Rosa is thinking of... Ending her life, and has sent me a letter regarding the matter. She said she would jump off the building of her office in about an hour. I can give you the address. I'm trying to contact as many people as I can to help her... P-please, you can be angry at me for as long as you wish, but...help Rosa, please." Rudolf pleaded. Though he bullied his younger sister a lot in the past, he still loved her. Of course, that never stopped him from pulling mean pranks on her. If only Rudolf knew how that would turn out, would he have stopped?

"Rosa oba-san...is..." Battler frowned, trying to think of what his aunt was like. _She was...I can't remember, to be honest._ "Planning suicide?" Battler contemplated this for a moment, then settled on a decision. _It's not fair if something happens to Rosa oba-san because of that bastard._ "Give me the address."

 _Elsewhere_

"Darling! Get the car!" Ushiromiya Eva rushed to her bedroom after putting down the receiver, hunting for her purse. "What's happenin'?" Her husband Hideyoshi asked concernedly, setting down his newspaper. "Are you doin' fine?" He asked. "Yeah, what's going on, mother?" George asked. "I'm fine! But Rosa isn't!" She snapped. "She's doing something stupid again. Honestly, she's such a _kid_ , _always_ doing stupid things." Eva muttered, grabbing her purse from the closet. "What's happened to Rosa oba-san?!" George asked. "I'll tell you on the way there, just hurry up and get the car started!" Eva ran down the stairs, taking 2 at a time. "A-alright." George rushed after his mother, to where his father had already started up the car, and was waiting impatiently inside. "Get us to Rosa's company now!" Eva said the moment after she slammed the car door shut. "Got it." Hideyoshi pushed his foot onto the acceleration pedal, racing towards his sister-in-law's company for a reason he himself didn't know. But when Eva was snarling at you like that, you complied with her requests, no matter how ridiculous they were.

 _Rosa's company_

Rosa blinked slowly, rubbing her eyes, starting to feel a little woozy. The smoke was filling her mouth with a burnt, acidic taste, the vodka only increasing the scorching sensation, but she barely noticed, her heart thudding in her chest. 10.15. In a while. _Perhaps this is a bad idea._ _ **No**_ _!_ Rosa shook her head. She couldn't go back anyways. She refused to return to being a slave to that horrible life of hers'. _You've always hated your life, haven't you? Haven't you once admitted to yourself that you wanted to be told that you were actually dead, that you were just a ghost? You had so many dreams that you hoped would come true, so, so, so many, but this is the only dream of yours' that you can fulfill, so fulfill that dream, chase it, chase it off the building, and hold on tight to it as you fall with it, Ushiromiya Rosaaaaaaaaaaaa~_

That voice in her head just wouldn't shut up. _**Stop it.**_ She chided herself. Rosa blamed the liquor for causing her to hallucinate, but there was a part of her that felt ashamed for doing something so pathetic, and that part sounded exactly like the Eva from 25 years ago who'd tell her to "give up and diiieeeeeee~" or call her a disgrace to the Ushiromiya family. "I never wanted this. I never wanted any of this, all the gold, the inheritance, none of it... So now you three can have my share of the gold..." Rosa giggled and pressed the half-empty bottle against her lips and poured some of the acid-like liquid down her throat. "So now you can't say everything I did was pointless, right? There'll be more than enough for you three to settle your debts...ha...ha..." Her giggles turned into a laugh, which transformed into a loud, hysterical cackle that fell deaf on the ears of all the innocent passers-by walking on the street below. Rosa turned her face upwards, letting the moon glare at her with its cold stare, and continued to laugh and laugh and laugh, her hand feeling around for more cigarettes, but there were none left. She'd finished the whole pack, much to her own insane amusement. 10.30. _Almost time._

"Rosa oba-san!" A loud, unfamiliar voice behind her called. Rosa jumped in surprise, nearly falling off the building in her shock. "Who...are you?" It was a little hard to see the man in her drunken state, but she could make out a tall man with red hair. Red hair... "I'm...Battler. Your nephew." He said a little uncomfortably. "Oh... Battler-kun... Why have you come here? What are you doing here?! If you wanted to smoke then I'm sorry but I've finished everything... But I'm sure Rudolf nii-san can buy you some with the extra money from the siblings' gold..." Rosa's voice broke and another wave of giggles washed over her. "My worthless father asked me to come here... I... Really don't know what to do in this kind of situation... But... A person's life is important. Everyone has some kind of important role to play in life, and I'm sure yours' is something great." Battler babbled, unsure of what to say.

Rosa's giggles stopped. "Rudolf nii-san sent you?!" She gave him an incredulous look. "Anyways, an important role, hmm? Well, mine is to be the pincushion for all my siblings to stick their needles into, then now it is to make sure they have a better life after their useless baby sister is dead~ And besides, Rosa will be happy in the afterlife! After all, nothing else can be worse than this hell." Her tone was mocking, and so was her expression. She lifted the bottle and toasted Battler, her hand shaking from her weakened state and the glass bottle's weight, and drank an entire mouthful. "Stop it!" Battler snatched the bottle out of her hand. Rosa mumbled something incoherent that he couldn't quite catch, but he could've sworn he heard the words "time" and "death". He checked his watch. _Dammit, it's 10.45. I have 15 minutes to convince her to stop._ "That's not true! What about your company?! A-and your partner?! Maria's father?!" He yelled. "Don't make me laugh, Battler-kun, you clearly don't understand, do you~?" She stood up, wobbling a little but standing firm, trying to look him straight in the eye even in her condition.

"That man doesn't love Rosa! He never did, or else he never would've left~ No man can ever love someone as pathetic as _me_ ~" She broke off laughing again, pushing her bangs out of her face. Rosa held her stomach, a sudden wave of nausea seizing her body. "Rosa oba-san!" Forgetting the task at hand for a second, Battler rushed towards her, but was knocked away with a surprisingly powerful backhand strike towards his chest. Who would've thought that a slender woman who looked so sweet and gentle could hit a gangly 18-year-old boy away with such force. He groaned, rubbing his chest. _Dammit, I have 2 minutes left..._ Rosa fell onto her knees, dry-heaving and coughing violently, her shoulders shaking. The alcohol was clearly trying to work its way out of her system. She stumbled far away from Battler, to the other end of the roof, where she crouched on her knees and elbows, her sandy brown hair obscuring her face from Battler's vision. _Maybe while she's still like this I can go and grab her from the back, then she can't fight back, then I'll hand her over to the old bastard..._ Battler took a step towards her.

1 minute. Another few steps. He was halfway there. More steps. He was almost there. 30 seconds. He cautiously walked behind her. 15 seconds. He carefully positioned himself at a spot where he could grab her slender body easily. And then... "Sorry, Batttler-kun, but it's my time now~ Perhaps Rosa will meet you again in the afterlife? Kyaahahahahahahahahah!~" And with a wave of insane laughter, Rosa slowly and rather shakily got up and hit him away again. The habit of referring to herself in third person was rather eerie, and Battler feared for the sanity of his aunt. "I'll be sure to wait for 'that man' in hell..." Tears ran down her fair cheeks as she laughed and dragged her weak body to the edge of the building. "What about Maria, damn it?! You said you didn't care about her father, then what about her?!" Battler shouted, clutching his middle. _So it was true after all. Drunken people sure can hit hard._ Rosa froze for a second, her cackles ceased by her nephew's questions. "Maria is... Better off with someone else. Rosa is entrusting her to Rudolf nii-san... Make sure he takes care of her, okay?" Her expression, twisted with a hysterical sort of joy just a moment ago turned absolutely serious. _Damn, my head hurts._ Rosa did her best to stand tall despite all the liquor she'd ingested, and it suddenly occured to her that Maria may mourn her death. _Nevermind that! DIE! JUST DIE! MARIA HAS ALWAYS HAD A BETTER LIFE WITHOUT YOU, YOU KNOW?! IF YOU TRULY LOVED HER, THEN YOU SHOULD JUST DIE!_ The voice in her head rose to a shriek, before dropping to a low, dangerous, loving (in a twisted way) croon.

 _Maria's better off with your brother, you know~ You always hit her, always scolded her, always did bad things to her~ Rudolf will take good, good care of her, and guess what? She'll have a loving Mama, a Papa, and even a little sister! Isn't that so much better than the hell you're trapping her in right now, Ushiromiya Rosaaaaa~_ "Stop it." She mumbled to the voice, hating the truth laced in those venomous words. "You see, Maria loves you a lot. I don't know why you'd leave your only daughter, you _must_ love her too, right?" And there was Battler again. _Don't listen to Battler, my dear,_ _ **I**_ _have been with you right from the beginning. I have watched over you for many years. I of all people know your heart the best, my dearest Rosa~_ Rosa glared at him, a large wave of pain seizing her brain, tears continuing to flow from her brown eyes. "Of _course_ I love Maria! _Why do you think I'm leaving?! Do you think I want to condemn Maria to the torture of living with such a stupid, weak, worthless, pathetic mother like me?!_ " Her voice rose to a shriek, her fingers entangling themselves in her messy hair, pulling as hard as they could. "You're a great mother, Rosa oba-san! I'm sure Maria was such a sweet little girl because her mother cared for her very well." Battler pressed the subject because that was the only thing that didn't send her into a fit of hysteria.

"What kind of mother hits their daughter?! Does a good mother pull her daughter's hair and throw her against the wall?! Does she scream at her all the time and neglect her for a man?!" Rosa screamed. Battler was stunned speechless for a moment. "Listen... I know you've probably done a lot of... Bad things in the past, but doing this won't change what you did. You can only continue into the future and try to atone for your past. Imagine how Maria would feel if her Mama left her." He was getting desperate. _Where is that old bastard when I need him?_ Battler's desperation was joined with agitation. "It's useless. I don't want to put Maria through hell." Rosa swayed dangerously and nearly fell off the edge. _That's right, Rosa. Take your bloodstained hands off your daughter as you fall to hell._ "It's your responsibility as a mother. Take care of Maria, dammit! Even if you did lots of bad stuff to her in the past, make up for it with the future. You know what Maria would say if she were here?" His voice had dropped to a low tone. "Wh-what?" Rosa had looked increasingly upset with every word Battler uttered, her eyes widening and both hands pressed to her mouth. "I don't remember her well... But I think she had this verbal tic... Ah! Now I remember. She'd say 'uu, Maria loves Mama a lot!' and hug you." Battler said, approaching her once more.

Rosa's lips parted in a pained scream, and she fell to her knees again, pulling on her long brown hair, her face buried in her hands. She lifted her head away from her hands to throw up violently, all the vodka she'd consumed as well as some blood rising out of her throat. _Die die die die die die die die die die die JUST DIE ALREADY!_ The voice wouldn't stay quiet, its soft croons rising to a loud, harsh yell. Battler moved over carefully after she finished coughing everything out, and this time she didn't try to push him away. He wrapped one arm around his sobbing aunt tentatively, the other feeling in his pocket for a handkerchief or something. _ENOUGH._ "Let's go, Rosa oba-san. I'll let Dad and Kyrie-san clean you up." She didn't budge. "Rosa oba-san...?" Battler said. "I'm sorry, Battler-kun." Rosa rested her head on his chest, her eyes red from crying, her cheeks tinged pink, and a sad smile playing on her lips. _IT'S YOU WHO NEEDS TO DIE._ Her own sanity triumphed, with love trampling the darkest bits of Rosa's soul and throwing it away into the depths of oblivion. She leaned towards him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Rosa oba-san?" Battler said, shaking her gently. She didn't move. He turned her face towards him. She'd fallen asleep, with a ghost of that beautiful smile that told tales of the tragedy of a young, scared, naive little girl who was left alone in hell for many, many long years still etched upon her pretty features.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: The End Of The World, Afterchapter**

 _5 October 1986_

"What...happened?" Ushiromiya Battler blinked, his eyes struggling to adjust to the dim lighting of the room. _Hm, looks like I'm in the chapel._ Across the space, a figure in black slowly walked towards him. He tried to rub his eyes but found that his hands and legs were tied to a chair. "Wha-" "Good morning, Battler-kun. I apologize for hitting you harder than I should have~" The figure in black walked up to him, an insincere look of apology on the person's attractive features. It was none other than Ushiromiya Rosa. "R-Rosa oba-san?! H-how, wh-why-" Battler looked up in shock. "Why, hm?" Rosa smiled at him, only there was no humor or amusement in her expression whatsoever.

"I-it was you?! Y-you k-killed Dad and the others?!" Battler shouted in horror. He felt a dull ache behind his head. "Yes, it was me." Rosa giggled and started to pace around him. "Never would've expected it, hm~? Of course not, to everyone I was just Rosa, their annoying, stupid little baby sister." She continued unhappily. _And then, I killed them._ "Rudolf nii-san told Krauss nii-san what happened. Eva nee-san knew too, so they all humiliated me for it. I'd had enough. It was just us four siblings together alone at night, having a secret discussion. Natsuhi nee-san, Hideyoshi nii-san and Kyrie nee-san were asleep. We had snuck out to talk about the inheritance. Eva nee-san kept saying how weak I was, and Krauss nii-san was saying how pathetic I was. _They did't know. They had no idea._ There was a baseball bat, probably Jessica-chan's from her childhood that happened to be there." A deranged smile spread across Rosa's face. _And it felt so good to finally murder those three who live to make my existence miserable, didn't it? They definitely got what they deserved._

"Then Kumasawa-san and Shannon?! Why did _they_ have to die?" Battler yelled angrily. "They were on the nightly rounds and happened to walk past the room we were in. It was a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, really. If I left them the way it was then it'd be too obvious it was me. Then I remembered the witches' epitaph. And so I killed those 6, and blamed it aaaall on the witch." Rosa laughed darkly. "Then next to go was Kyrie nee-san. She kept going on and on about how it must've been one of us adults, and I knew she was on to something. I saw her and Hideyoshi nii-san discussing it together when they went to get some supplies, and there was my chance. I had a gun, remember? I went in the opposite direction, remember? Only I circled back and shot them from afar." _Ah, but it wasn't you who pulled the trigger. It was me. I kept your hatred of your siblings safe for you aaaaall these years, didn't I, Rosa? I hid it all safely for it to resurface again, and it's a good thing I did too, because now we can have a happy life without the burden of the inheritance, or your daughter._ _ **My daughter-**_ That other voice in her head shut up for a moment. "Then Natsuhi oba-san?! Kanon-kun?! George-aniki?! Jessica?! Gohda-san and Genji-san?! _Maria_?! Why did _they_ have to die?!" Battler continued.

"Listen to me, Battler-kun. I'm going to...confess to everything. Then, I'll untie you, and you follow everything I tell you, okay?" Rosa softened again, and paced back to face Battler, kneeling to look him in the eye. "I'm not listening to you, _murderer_." Battler spat. Rosa sighed. "You _will_ listen to me later. It's alright to hate me now. Just allow me to confess to all my crimes." She pleaded. "Whatever." Battler looked away. "Thank you, Battler-kun." She rose to her feet and began pacing again. "After Hideyoshi nii-san and Kyrie nee-san died, I returned to the room as innocently as I could, then casually brought them up after a while. Then, Natsuhi nee-san offered to go look for them with me. While we walked, she told me all about Krauss nii-san's business failures and how he'd stop at _nothing_ to pay off his debts and so on. Then she brought up the...incident a while ago, and started to berate me a little. I couldn't stand it. Who the _hell_ does she think she is?! I am Ushiromiya Rosa, the 4th in line for the title of the family head, and yet she continues to treat me like a child. They all treated me like I was a kid. They always did. I took the stone vase from the mantelpiece and beat her to death with it. Then I disposed of the object. After that, I remembered the epitaph mentioned 'gouging and killing', so I entered Father's study. His corpse was rotting on the bed already. I stole his sacrificial stakes and drove one into Hideyoshi nii-san's head, Kyrie nee-san's chest, and Natsuhi nee-san's stomach."

Rosa stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and realized she'd been grinning insanely while admitting her sins. _**Who are you?!**_ _I am you, Rosa~ I just store your darkest thoughts away for you._ _ **It-it wasn't me, was it, who was killing everyone? It was you!**_ _My, took you long enough to find out. Yes, it was me. But I am you, and I can only manifest within you. So, really, it wasn't me at all, but you._ "Then Gohda-san and Genji-san saw me staking Natsuhi nee-san. So of course, I took the stakes and killed them both. Hahahaha, none of them were expecting _Ushiromiya Rosa_ to do something like _that_ , so imagine the stupid looks of surprise on their face when I drove the stakes into their bodies...! Ha...ha...hahahahhahhahaaa!" Rosa laughed humorlessly, her wide eyes staring straight up at the heavens. "Then Kanon-kun and Jessica-chan had to get involved..." She made a noise of distaste.

"They confronted me. So of course, they had to go too~" Rosa giggled. "It was fun, seeing the red bloom out of the backs of their heads. They left roses on the floor, lots and lots of beautiful red roses~! Did you know how pretty the color they left behind was?" Another unhinged giggle. "In the end, it was only you, me, George, Dr Nanjo and Maria... I planned to kill George and Dr Nanjo and let you live, but Eva nee-san appeared out of nowhere~ She screamed about my crimes, about all the blood on my hands~ I took the gun. I was going to kill her properly this time. But first, I had to dispose of the rest of you. George and Nanjo were easy targets~ But Eva nee-san was tough. Finally, I found the perfect opening. I didn't hesitate. I aimed at her carefully." _And then, we pulled the trigger, Rosaaaaa~_ "...It didn't hit her. Maria tried to protect Eva nee-san, saying how 'Beatrice' was behind the murders, and that that Beatrice person would bring everyone back in the Golden Land~" _And then we-_ "I squeezed the trigger anyway, but... Maria... She..."

 _"Goodbye, Eva nee-san. Let us meet again in hell." Rosa's lips curved into a twisted smile, and shot her sister. "Uu, Mama, don't! You'll interrupt Beato's ceremony!" Maria jumped out of nowhere, intercepting the bullet. While Eva nee-san was stunned, I killed her and ran to Maria. I killed her. I killed my daughter._

Rosa grimaced and shook her head. "I'm going to cut these ropes now, Battler-kun. After I killed Eva nee-san I knocked you out, then fixed Krauss nii-san's boat while you were unconcious. You can ride it back to Niijima." Rosa produced a small pocketknife from Maria's bag, which she'd brought along as well. She sawed the ropes off, and instantly Battler felt the force around his wrists loosen. "Why me?" He said. Rosa smiled sadly. "You saved me once, Battler-kun. It's only fair that I return the favor." She turned away. "What about you?" Battler couldn't help but ask. He knew he should feel hostile towards her for killing his all his loved ones, but she was still his aunt, and he'd seen that broken, desperate side of her that hid behind a calm facade every day, and he still loved her despite the weight of her many sins. "I'm staying here~ I suggest you leave, Battler-kun. I found Father's secret bomb which detonates at 12 am, and it'll destroy the whole mansion. Turns out he has one here too. I'm sure he thought that his _worthless_ daughter would never discover his last weapon, hm~? I'm looking forward to watching Rokkenjima go down in flames~ _Let it burn! Let this cursed place burn!_ And of course, _I_ will be there too, and it is from there that I shall enter hell~ Kyahahahahahhahha~" Rosa laughed and laughed and laughed. "Dammit, dammit, dammit! You may be a murderer but you're still my relative, dammit! We can still escape!" Battler ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Don't you see, Battler-kun? It's too late for me. I've lost my daughter. I've lost _everything_. Take care, Battler-kun." Rosa leaned upwards and stood on her tiptoes, softly pressing her lips against his cheek. _You're wrong, my dear Battler-kun. That voice? It didn't belong to Eva nee-san at all. It never did. That voice was always mine, whispering my deepest, darkest desires to me, making sure they never died._ "Now _go_." Battler looked back at her once more, and noticed something. All the corpses were seated around a long table, each of their bloody heads fallen into the plate of sweets prepared before them, staining the otherwise cute arrangement of sweets a horrible color of crimson. He supressed a gasp of horror. "You... you..." And then, to Rosa's surprise, he slapped her across the face. " _Dammit_ , Rosa oba-san! Where did that kind, level-headed aunt I had go?! You're just a devil in the form of my aunt!" While Rosa pressed her palm against her cheek, wincing, Battler hugged her smaller frame tightly. "Don't just _give up_! We can still leave, alter the future! Sure, you killed my old man and Kyrie-san, but I _know_ there's the real Rosa oba-san in there." Battler and his stupid words. Rosa swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

"Goodbye, Battler-kun." A sad smile playing on her lips, she brushed her lips against his cheek gently, one last time. _Thank you._ It wasn't an incestuous gesture, it was more of a final parting from a frightened child who never truly left the hell she was imprisoned in for 19 long, painful years. "I'm not going, dammit!" Battler yelled stubbornly. _He's just as stubborn as Rudolf nii-san..._ "It's almost 12." She said softly, without moving. Rosa slowly rose to her feet, walking to the edge of the rose garden where the cliff overlooked the sea. Battler followed her, trying to catch a glimpse of her expression, but her face gave nothing away. He moved to stand beside her, and for one horrible moment he thought Rosa would jump off, but it wasn't her who would be launched over the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, Rosa gave Battler a hard shove which sent him plummetting towards the sea.

He yelled in shock, and looked up to see her giving him a sad smile before the mansion exploded, and a wave of fire engulfed Ushiromiya Rosa's slender body, completely disintegrating it. He got onto the boat, swimming back to the dock with much difficulty, and headed back towards Niijima, finally collapsing and nearly drowning before the end of the journey due to fatigue, drifting towards the island without any idea of how fortunate he was to even have escaped the sort of hell Rosa was put through, and without ever having to comprehend it himself firsthand.

 **End**

 _ **Escape, escape**_

 _ **from this sorrowful fate.**_

 _ **You are not a flower of hell**_

 _ **in that kind of place.**_

 _And thus concludes this short glimpse outside the catbox, and the consequences that that event brought. Though that event occurred outside the catbox, meaning that it did not exist, the chances of it happening was so rare, as in 1 in 2,578,917, to be precise; and it did bring about a rather entertaining chain of events, which did exist. However, even though this is the only world where Ushiromiya Rosa attempts suicide, it is not the only one with her as the human culprit. After all, poor Rosa has suffered for many, many years, so naturally, that would drive a person towards insanity... *giggle*giggle* Later on, Ushiromiya Battler was found by a woman by the name of Hachijo Ikuko on the road, for some debris from the explosion had struck Battler's head, and he had almost drowned. Before I turn the page to the next arc, allow me to apologize sincerely for bringing you through such a dark and twisted tale, my beloved reader~ *giggle*giggle*_


	15. Chapter 15

_Welcome back, my dear reader. My, we have progressed far, haven't we? *giggle*giggle* a few things you may have learned from the previous arc: these short tales are actually glimpses from the infinte kakera. However, only the event before this tale was dug up, with great difficulty, from a miracle-bearing Fragment. Every other story has happened in every single kakera. Or has it? As aforementioned many times, you have the choice whether to accept these stories as the truth or not~ My apologies for not stating this earlier. Perhaps I could make it up with a more light-hearted tale like the one below? At any rate, I sincerely pray that you enjoy the next short journey I shall undertake with you._

 **Chapter 15: Sisterly Affection**

"That is _it_! I have had _enough_ of you!" Ushiromiya Eva shouted at her arrogant brother, Ushiromiya Krauss. He had been mocking her with an aura of male superiority, saying how women only existed to serve men, and quick-tempered Eva had quickly snarled back a cutting reply, resulting in a huge blowup between the two oldest siblings. Krauss merely sneered at Eva's retreating back, shaking his head condescendingly, as though his intelligent sister was nothing more than a kid who was arguing over a petty, insignificant matter. Krauss enjoyed lording it over all his siblings, especially Eva. Generally Rudolf, his younger brother, and him only had physical squabbles, not verbal ones, where they would fight and Krauss would knock his brother out. Whenever Krauss mocked his youngest sister Rosa, he didn't find it much fun because she burst into tears too easily. However, he took the most delight in vindicating Eva, for her hot temper was a source of amusement for the arrogant man.

Eva stormed out of the mansion, muttering a string of curses under her breath. She spotted her baby sister, Rosa, playing in the garden and went to see what she was doing, just out of plain curiousity. The 10-year-old girl was digging around in the dirt underneath the roses, humming happily to herself, crouched on her hands and knees, a small mountain of tiny rocks and a bunch of wildflowers by her side. "Rosa? What are you _doing_?" Eva's anger towards Krauss faded completely in the face of her astonishment. Rosa jumped and her head whirled around to face Eva. "L-looking for rocks." Rosa smiled innocently, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there was dirt on her face, her clothes, and all over her knees. " _Rocks_?!" The older girl's confused expression transformed into one of further bewilderment. "Yes, like little rocks." Rosa's picked up a pebble she'd collected with her dirty fingers and showed it to Eva. "See?"

"But why on earth are you collecting _pebbles_?!" The more they talked, the more perplexed Eva felt. She may have been smart and quick-witted, and excellent in her studies, but when it came to understanding her kid sister, Eva was completely clueless. "Yeah. Rosa is collecting them to play with afterwards." Rosa set the pebble down again carefully. It seemed that the little girl didn't just want _any_ rock, she wanted pebbles of a particular size. _Why does this stupid kid want to play with_ _ **pebbles**_ _?!_ Eva wanted to snap a cutting remark at her, but found herself unable to spoil a kid radiating with such happy innocence's fun.

"Eva onee-chan?" Rosa's soft girlish voice reached Eva's ears, slicing through the harsh words she strangely could not bring herself to throw at her baby sister. "Yes?" Eva snapped rudely. _This_ she could do. Immediately, Rosa shrank back as though she'd just been slapped. "E-Eva onee-chan seems angry, did Krauss onii-chan do something again?" Rosa askedd timidly. _Uwahh, maybe I shouldn't have asked, now Eva onee-chan is going to scold me...!_ "Yes." Normally when Eva was upset she used Rosa as a punching bag, and bullied her with cruel words, then went to rant to that other being inside her, the _other her_ that she'd been speaking to since she was young, about the unfairness of the situation. "Eva onee-chan can tell Rosa about it! Rosa will listen and try to make Eva onee-chan feel better!" Rosa said cheerfully, her eyes shining. Eva sighed.

"Krauss nii-san has always been treating me with disdain, telling me that he's better than me, when in reality _I'm_ clearly the more competent one, yet _he_ gets to be the heir because he was born a _man_." Eva mumbled the next line under her breath, so Rosa couldn't hear, but she could've sworn she heard the words "so much for a man" and something that sounded like "clearly has no halls", which she didn't understand. Eva ranted for about 15 minutes, before turning to Rosa again. "What about you? Since you're just a foolish _child_ -" She sneered that last word on purpose before continuing. "-your dreams wouldn't have anything to do with the inheritance, would it?"

Rosa didn't seem to get the sarcasm though, and shook her head enthusiastically, pigtails flying about. "Eva onee-chan is right! Rosa doesn't want to be the head! Rosa wants to become a seagull, and fly away from the island~" She smiled up at her older sister, unaware of the dark thoughts formulating behind Eva's shocked pink eyes. "I want to swim in a sea of jelly, and play in a mountain of cake~!" Children were generally obsessed with sweets, and little Rosa was no exception. "Are your dreams really that pathetic?" Eva sneered, momentarily forgetting that Rosa was only 10. "If that's all you want to do in life, then maybe you should just give up and diiiieeeeee~" She always felt much better after lashing out at Rosa. The younger girl looked frightened after hearing her sister's harsh words, and slowly backed away, snatching up the little rocks she'd collected with one hand and grabbing the bunch of wildflowers with the other.

Rosa hurried away, determined not to let Eva ruin her good mood at least for one day. She hunted around the garden for a bit, with Eva following her out of sheer curiousity, then found what she was looking for- a spider's web. A large spider was weaving the fine white threads of its web all over the branches it had chosen to build its home. Since Rosa was still quite short, she didn't have to bend down to reach the web. Carefully, she positioned the pebble above a section of the sticky threads...and dropped the rock straight through it. It sailed downwards, catching parts of the web onto its surface, spoiling the net. Immediately the spider made its way to the destroyed area of its home, fixing it with ease. Rosa smiled innocently and tossed another small rock at its web. Once again, the spider went to weave more threads to fix its web.

After a while, Rosa decided that she wanted to do something else. Picking up the wildflowers, she carefully extracted the pollen from the middle (not an easy task, as her fingers were rather clumsy) and dripped it onto the spiderweb. An unknowing butterfly fluttered over to the pollen, and ended up stuck to the threads, unable to move. The spider crawled towards the poor insect and started to inject its venom into it, preparing to devour the butterfly. Throughout this whole rather disturbing scene, Eva was watching with horrified curiousity, while Rosa was taking in the scene with wide eyes filled with innocent cruelty. After the butterfly died, Rosa dropped another stone through the web to remove the corpse, and succeeded in ruining the web once more. Eva watched her little sister carefully, and couldn't help but feel a little amused, her bad mood from earlier evaporating slowly. She stared at Rosa for a little longer, and then spoke.

"...Hey Rosa. Pass me one of those rocks."

 **End**


	16. Chapter 16

_Welcome back, my dear reader. I apologize for the rather brief stories I have brought you through, and I must apologize once again, for the next few arcs shall be rather ephemeral as well. I would like to express my immeasurable gratitude towards you, my dearest reader, for continuing on this journey with me, and not abandoning my short tales. Our next tale is a little similar to the previous one, yet it bears rather noticeable differences. I whole-heartedly wish for you to be able to enjoy this short tale, my dearest reader._

 **Chapter 16: I'm Afraid Of Storms**

Ushiromiya Krauss slowly walked down the deserted corridor, his forehead creased not unlike the way his wife's would whenever she had a headache. It was around 2 am, and Krauss couldn't sleep even though he was physically tired, his mind was still wide awake. Silently, he'd crept out of the room he shared with Natsuhi, and started to take a long walk through the mansion in an attempt to tire his body out. He would rather have gone to the rose garden, but a thunderstorm was raging outside, and he did not wish to catch a cold from the rain. Truth be told, Krauss couldn't sleep because he was worried about Natsuhi. It couldn't be normal for one person to have _so_ many headaches, could it? Natsuhi also looked miserable a lot of the time, Eva's cruel teasing not helping her mood at all. He felt as though he wasn't being a good husband, that he should somehow be able to help her perpetual unhappiness, and yet he didn't know what to do. A loud crash of thunder from the storm seemed to be agreeing with his thoughts. Following that clap of thunder was a faint gasp from somewhere down the hall, startling Krauss.

Who on earth could be there at that time of night? Krauss searched up and down the corridor, but there was no one in sight but him. On the far end of the corridor was Eva's room, and he could hear rather unladylike snores upon pressing his ear against the keyhole. Similarly, Rudolf was also fast asleep, his snores almost as loud as Eva's. Krauss chuckled to himself. _And Eva always denied snoring in her sleep._ He almost made it to the other door next to Rudolf's, when another loud burst of thunder startled him, and the occupant of the room too. This time, the gasp was much louder as he was closer to the source of the noise. He couldn't believe his ears. Krauss gripped the doorknob, and slowly, as quietly as he could, opened the door. His youngest sister, Ushiromiya Rosa, a tiny kid of 11, was hiding under her blankets, whimpering softly while her whole body shook. "Rosa?" Krauss called softly. "K-Krauss onii-chan?" Little Rosa peeked out of her blanket to look at him.

"Why are you still awake?" Krauss was suddenly aware that this was almost the first proper conversation he was having with his baby sister that didn't involve calling her cruel names or pulling on her girlish pigtails rudely, and/or laughing at her. Underneath the blanket where Rosa was hiding, her cheeks turned pink, and she held the covers more tightly in her small fists. "R-Rosa is awake, because... um..." As she tried to formulate a response in her mind, a particularly loud clap of thunder sounded from outside, and Rosa screamed in fear, immediately pressing her hands against her mouth. Krauss shook his head. _Honestly, this child... She's already 11, and she's still afraid of thunder?_ He left the room, slamming the door loudly, making his baby sister whimper.

Krauss walked back to his room, yawning, and fell asleep within seconds. Fortunately for Natsuhi, Krauss was too exhausted to notice that she wasn't in the bed, and stuffed a few pillows there in the shape of her body instead. Natsuhi herself had woken up about half an hour ago with a terrible headache, and reached across the bed, hoping to find warmth and comfort from her husband, and instead felt only the cold sheets under her palm. Upon realizing that she was alonem, Natsuhi decided to take a walk through the mansion in an attempt to get some air. It was a miracle that she and Krauss hadn't crossed paths during their walks, really. She passed by the same corridor Krauss had just been walking in, and looked out the window, frowning. _Looks like the rain won't let up soon..._ A flash of lightning shot across the sky, followed by a loud explosion of thunder. Similarly to Krauss, Natsuhi also heard a small squeak of fear after the thunderclap. Only she located the source of the sound much more quickly than Krauss did.

"R-Rosa-san?" Natsuhi called a little nervously, knocking on Rosa's bedroom door gently. _Why am I afraid of this child? Only Eva-san is cruel towards me, and Rosa-san doesn't really speak to me at all..._ "Krauss onii-chan?" Once again, Rosa peeked out from under her covers. "N-no, it's me. Natsuhi." Natsuhi answered. "Uu, Natsuhi onee-chan?" Rosa hesitantly removed the blankets from her head, repeating Natsuhi's words in a childlike manner.

"Y-yes. C-can I come in?" She felt ashamed of herself for being intimidated by the tiny girl hiding underneath a blanket and a mountain of soft toys, but she couldn't seem to help it. "Yes..." Natsuhi entered, intending only to sit next to Rosa until either one of them fell asleep. "Why are you still awake?" She asked. It was almost eerie, the way her actions were almost identical to her husband's. "Rosa...is...scared of thunder." If the room hadn't been almost completely silent save for the sound of the rain outside, Natsuhi would have missed the faint whisper of the terrified child next to her. Rosa didn't entirely mind telling Natsuhi she was secretly afraid of thunder, just felt a little awkward doing so. She didn't dare to speak to Natsuhi normally because she always looked _so_ unhappy and miserable, but strangely she'd always thought of her as an older sister figure, most likely because her own older sister, Eva, always treated her cruelly. To be fair, Eva treated _everyone_ cruelly, though she seemed to be particularly vindictive towards Rosa and Natsuhi.

"Then, maybe I could stay with you until you fall asleep?" Natsuhi said politely. She noticed that Rosa wasn't looking at her, but was looking _past_ her, to the bookshelf behind Natsuhi that held tons of storybooks. Natsuhi smiled gently at Rosa, who noticed that Natsuhi had noticed her staring, and was now looking at her with wide brown eyes. Natsuhi laughed softly at the adorable mixture of fear and uncertainty on Rosa's face. She crossed over to the bookshelf, and selected a book at random, returning with the volume clutched tightly in her hands. Natsuhi cleared her throat, flipped to the start of the book, and started to read.

"Once upon a time, there was-"

A flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder startled Natsuhi, cutting her off. Little Rosa had inhaled sharply, her tiny fists tightly clutching her stuffed toy. Natsuhi tried to smile brightly at Rosa, pretending that her heart wasn't racing. The rain had grown heavier, without them noticing. Natsuhi took a deep breath, and began the story again.

"Once upon a t-"

The thunder roared again from outside, and a terrified squeak reverberated through the room. Natsuhi immediately looked over at Rosa, who was biting her lip so hard she could see traces of blood. Neither one of them moved, just sat there in silence till the next telltale flash of lightning announced the next clap of thunder. Immediately, Rosa's small hands flew to her ears, covering them with her eyes squeezed shut. The sound of thunder echoed around Rosa's messy room once more, and so did the terrified whimper. This time, however, Rosa's eyes widened in understanding, and she slowly removed her hands from both sides of her head. "N-Natsuhi onee-chan... Are you... Scared of thunder?" Rosa giggled. "N-no, I, eek!" Another burst of thunder cut off Natsuhi's words, and it was evident that Natsuhi was much, much, more terrified of thunder than the tiny 11-year-old girl hiding beneath the blankets was.

Rosa giggled again, scooting closer to Natsuhi, whose hands were trembling, and gently stroked her hair comfortingly. "There, there, Natsuhi onee-chan. Rosa is scared of thunder too, because the scary witch might come for Rosa, and use the thunder to hide her magic spells..." Natsuhi had no idea what Rosa was talking about. "But Torakichi has promised to protect Rosa from the scary witch if she comes~! So now Rosa will protect Natsuhi onee-chan!" Rosa moved away from Natsuhi and patted the spacce next to her, implying that Natsuhi should come sit next to her. Hesitantly, Natsuhi climbed onto the bed next to the innocent kid, curling into a ball. "Natsuhi onee-chan can sleep here, Rosa will make sure the scary witch doesn't get Natsuhi onee-chan! It's a promise!" She held out her finger towards Natsuhi, who smiled and hooked fingers with Rosa, shaking hands. "It's a promise." It was funny how little Ushiromiya Rosa, who looked even more like she was just 7 years old with her straight light brown hair falling down her shoulders to her back and her oversized pastel pink pajamas, was comforting Ushiromiya Natsuhi, who looked every bit the part of a mature, uptight young woman who wasn't afraid of trivial things like thunder.

Every time thunder resonated through the room, Rosa would choke down her own scared whimpers, and laughed softly at Natsuhi instead, who was cowering and shaking next to her. Gradually, Natsuhi grew sleepier and sleepier as the thunder faded from deafening roars to faint, faraway explosions, until finally, Natsuhi fell asleep with her face in her knees, the last thing she felt before she was snatched into the realm of dreams was her sister-in-law's head resting against her shoulder, her soft snores (so unlike Rudolf's and Eva's) lulling Natsuhi to a peaceful sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

_Welcome back, my dearest reader. Though I feel it is my duty to welcome you back after we conclude every arc, I feel that I am rambling a little too much? I do apologize, if that is the case. Perhaps I should cease speaking these little intros? Either way, I shall not stand in the way anymore, and allow you, my dear reader, to pass forth to the next tale._

 **Chapter 17: Sibling Similarities**

A huge amount of people were waiting outside the mansion, sipping drinks and chatting amiably while admiring the roses. These people consisted of powerful people from both the glorious Ushiromiya family and the well-known family of Shinto priests. In the rooms, a nervous bride was having her makeup done by a few servants, while her soon-to-be-husband was pacing up and down in his room, trying to choke down his nerves. However, in another room, was a young girl of 11 years old, alone, scrutinizing her appearance in a full-length mirror while frowning. Ushiromiya Rosa tugged on the white satin nervously, trying to adjust it in a way so that the dress would fit her small frame well. Rosa was unusally short and skinny, even for a girl of her age, something which Eva and Rudolf always laughed at her for.

Rosa sighed and tried to adjust the somewhat unflattering dress. It was sleeveless and made of satin, with a white belt around the middle. It reached up to Rosa's knees, though the back was a little longer than the front was. The satin parted in the lower half of the dress, with white lace filling the space where the satin parted. It was quite cute, and gave the person who wore the outfit an air of innocence and purity. Rosa frowned and pulled at the dress again, noticing that the top part was a little loose. No doubt it was meant for a girl who'd started growing already, but Rosa's body was still rather childlike, her chest still flat and her body still built like a stick figure's. Rudolf and Eva constantly teased her for it (Rudolf would ask her "Rosa why are you sooooo flat-chested?" in a tone laced with mock disappointment, while Eva would shake her head at her baby sister with a cruel smile twisting her features, saying "no man would _ever_ want a woman who can't grow into a beautiful bride, so if you can't do even _that_ , how about you just give up and diiiiieeee~?")

Rosa gazed at her own face in the mirror miserably. _I don't even want to do this. I hate my siblings. Rosa doesn't want to be here, and Rosa definitely doesn't want to be the bridesmaid at Krauss onii-chan's wedding! Let someone else do it! Rosa doesn't want to be here!_ She attached a white rose hairclip to her soft brown hair, which was falling down her shoulders. _Rosa's hair isn't even curly. It's straight and boring. Eva onee-chan is right. Rosa isn't beautiful at all._ Rosa bit her lip, trying unsuccessfully not to cry. She broke down and started to bawl, her reflection crying with her, her wails reverberating around the room.

"E-excuse me?" A soft voice followed by a knock stopped Rosa's loud cries immediately. Rosa wiped her tears away quickly, for fear it was Eva coming to check on her, forgetting that Eva wouldn't do something so polite like knock, and just barge in after quickly rapping the door. "C-come in..." Her voice only shook slightly. "Rosa-san?" The voice was much more familiar now. "Oh, Natsuhi onee-chan!" Rosa said, relieved. Natsuhi had met the family a few weeks ago, after her engagement with Krauss was confirmed. At first, Rosa would call Natsuhi 'Natsuhi-san', then upon being told by Krauss to stop because Natsuhi didn't seem too comfortable with it. Then, she'd called her 'Natsuhi-sama', which Natsuhi had hastily told her to stop doing. Then she had tried to follow Eva, who called her 'Natsuhi nee-san', but Rosa didn't like it much. Finally, an incredibly annoyed and frustrated Krauss had given up, and snapped at his baby sister to just call her 'Natsuhi onee-chan', the same way she addressed Eva. A frightned Rosa had squeaked a quick 'yes' before bolting from the room. Later on, Krauss had mumbled a reluctant apology, because he noticed Natsuhi didn't seem to like it much when he snapped at Rosa.

"What's wrong, Rosa-san?! Are you alright?!" Rosa's red eyes and nose had obviously given away the fact that she was crying, and Natsuhi's motherly instinct was taking over. Similarly, Rosa was rather uncomfortable at being addressed so formally, but Natsuhi didn't seem to like calling her just 'Rosa' or even 'Rosa-chan' so she was forced to endure it. After all, she was just a _kid_ , and her problems were all just _trivial_ , as Eva cheerfully reminded her every day, just to see Rosa's chin tremble and tears form in the corner of her eyes. "Rosa is okay..." Rosa plastered a wide, fake grin on her face. She felt like bolting from the room. She hated it whenever she was caught crying, especially since whoever caught her (usually Eva) would just sneer at her and scold her. Natsuhi was wearing her bridal gown, an elegant dress made of some soft material that Rosa suspected was silk, that complimented her figure perfectly, showing off all the curves that little Rosa could only _dream_ of having. As one of the bridesmaids, Rosa would help to carry the train of her dress as she walked down the aisle (or as Eva called it, the "aisle of doom", stating how _no one_ in their right minds would _ever_ want to marry Krauss), all the lights illuminating Natsuhi's beauty while Rosa hid behind her in the shadows, overlooked as usual. No one ever looked at Rosa, unless to snap something at her.

"You don't look alright... There, there." Truth be told, Natsuhi should have been at her room, patiently waiting for the maids to return to the room to do her hair, but she felt like taking a quick peek out to see how many guests there were, and ended up taking a walk. So now here she was, patting her future sister-in-law's head, and gently dabbing at her still teary eyes. "Rosa is *hic* alright." Rosa insisted, hating the fact that this woman she barely knew was more of a mother and big sister to her than her own mother and Eva had ever been, and hating that that was making her cry harder. "Uu, Natsuhi onee-chan should go and finish preparing, in case Natsuhi onee-chan doesn't have enough time, and Krauss onii-chan will be angry." She raked her hair back with her fingers absently. "Yes, I should... But where are the servants attending to _you_?" Natsuhi said, a little startled. "All the servants are helping Natsuhi onee-chan and Eva onee-chan, and Rosa has to get ready on her own..." She fidgeted uncomfortably, staring down at her feet.

"How disgraceful. For servants to neglect one of the young masters of the house... Nevermind, let Natsuhi onee-chan help you prepare, alright?" Natsuhi needed to rush back to her room as quickly as she could, but she couldn't just leave this crying child _alone_. "Here, sit down here." Natsuhi gestured towards a chair facing a wall mirror. Nervously, Rosa sat down, her hands clasped together to prevent them from shaking. Natsuhi took a hairbrush and raked it through Rosa's light brown hair gently. "It's not the servants' fault... Eva onee-chan specifically requested for them to help her, because Eva onee-chan is more important than Rosa." Rosa said in a small voice, while Natsuhi carefully braided her long hair. The older girl was rather taken aback by Rosa's comment.

"H-hey, Rosa-san, d-d-don't say that..." Natsuhi stumbled over the words, giving her a reproving look that Rosa would never see. "It's true... Eva onee-chan is a lot more intelligent, competent, and worthy of being the Ushiromiya family head. Eva onee-chan is also a lot more beautiful than Rosa..." The start of her sentence had the tone of someone just repeating words spoken to them many, many times before, though that last bit was barely audible, had Natsuhi not been sitting so close to Rosa, she never would've heard it. "Don't say that, Rosa-san. I'm sure you would make a wonderful head one day." Natsuhi picked up a rubber band with a small white bloom on it from the table to tie the braid in place. "Rosa won't be a good head.. But thank you anyway, Natsuhi onee-chan!" Rosa smiled happily at her soon-to-be sister-in-law. "Hey, Natsuhi onee-chan..." She started softly, her cheeks slowly turning red.

"Yes?" Natsuhi replied. "Can Rosa... Help you with your hair too?" Rosa whispered shyly, her fingers absently running themselves over the end of her braid. Natsuhi widened her eyes a little in surprise. The loyal, much more experienced servants were already waiting in her room for her to return, to style her dark curls elegantly and present the image of a perfect bride. But then there was this short, skinny little girl with a light color of red on her cheeks, who was constantly scolded by her older sister for things like coming home with scrapes on her knees and dirt on her cheeks, to things like accidentally dropping crumbs on her skirt while eating cookies, who spent a lot of her free time playing with stuffed dolls and drawing (surprisingly excellent) drawings of fantasy creatures. Natsuhi found herself speaking before her brain could even process her words. "Yes, of course." The two switched places, and little Rosa picked up the brush and drew it through Natsuhi's hair gently, humming softly as she did so. "Natsuhi onee-chan has such nice hair." She twisted Natsuhi's hair between her fingers nimbly. "Tha-thank you, Rosa-san." Natsuhi fidgeted nervously. _I should be back now... I may be late for the ceremony._ "Natsuhi onee-chan looks just like a princess... Rosa wants to be pretty like that too." She said a little sadly. She brushed Natsuhi's bangs with the brush carefully.

"You _are_ beautiful, Rosa-san. Alright?" Natsuhi never had a little brother or sister to care for, so she didn't really know what to do in this situation. She waited patiently till Rosa finished styling her soft hair before saying anything. "Uu, Rosa is finished!" Rosa announced cheerfully. She'd tied two thin braids on either side of Natsuhi's head, and fastened them together in the middle, before twisting what was left of her hair into an elegant, complicated plait. Natsuhi wasn't aware that this shy child could do something like that. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She patted Rosa's head gently, something no one (besides Kumasawa and Rudolf, on very, very rare occassions) had done to her. "Thank you, Natsuhi onee-chan!" Rosa sang happily, abruptly throwing her arms around Natsuhi's middle, giving her an unexpected hug. "R-Rosa-san?!" Natsuhi exclaimed in surprise, turning red.

Immediately, the younger girl let go with a little sound of surprise. "I-I'm sorry!" She stammered, bowing apologetically. "Wh-why are you so scared?" Natsuhi had never seen someone react this way after hugging someone before, and felt a little guilty for triggering this side of the usually cheerful (though admittedly a little crybaby-ish) child in front of her. "Eva onee-chan usually hits Rosa whenever I try to hug her because she says Rosa is annoying... And Rudolf onii-chan would tell me about how flat my chest is..." Rosa paused for a moment and sighed. Natsuhi looked down at her own sizeable chest and turned pink. "A-and Krauss onii-chan tells me not to do stuff like this because he also thinks Rosa is annoying..." Natsuhi swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. If _this_ was the type of man she was marrying, _well_...

"It's okay, don't be upset, Rosa-san. You look very pretty now, so don't ruin that with red eyes, alright?" Natsuhi said gently to the still quietly apologising Rosa, who looked like she was about to cry. "Y-you really mean it?" It suddenly occurred to Natsuhi that Rosa had never really received any praise from anyone at all, resulting in her severe lack of self esteem. "Of course." She smiled warmly at the younger girl. "Thank you..." Rosa looked down at her feet, her cheeks flaming red, awkwardly shoving loose strands of sandy brown hair behind her ear. She _was_ extremely pretty, clearly Rosa had gotten quite a few of the good-looking genes in the Ushiromiya family. "I'll just go now, okay?" Natsuhi cautiously ruffled her bangs. "See you later, Natsuhi onee-chan!" Rosa waved cheerily at her until she left. _It was nice having a big sister for once..._ Rosa turned around and smiled at her reflection. _And maybe Natsuhi onee-chan is right... Maybe Rosa isn't ugly at all, and Eva onee-chan is just being mean..._

Meanwhile, Natsuhi was getting rather desperate to return to her own room, but somehow managed to get lost in the seemingly identical corridors. Little did she know, in the future she would be very familiar with those hallways, as she'd spend a lot of time there whenever her headaches got unbearable. She rushed from hallway to hallway, trying to locate her room, her heart twisting with guilt with every step, hating herself for having to get rid of all the effort Rosa had put in for her. Finally, Natsuhi ended up in Eva's room, having barged in by accident. "Natsuhi nee-san? What are you doing in here?" Eva said in amused surprise. "I-it's a long story... A-anyway, I hope I could borrow the servants for a minute, I need to fix my hair..." Natsuhi twisted the ends around her finger uncomfortably. Eva laughed for a moment before replying. "Then perhaps _I_ could help you, right?" To a still-laughing Eva's surprise, Natsuhi blanched. _Who knew siblings could be so similar to one another, even with a huge age gap and absolutely different personalities?_


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Hiya everyone! This chapter is for UnwrittenPage, who sent me the best headcanons and reviews ever :3 you're the absolute best, thanks for all your support!**_

 _Welcome back, my most beloved reader. Did you rest well? I hope you found the previous journey entertaining, as its nature was so light-hearted. I myself enjoyed seeing our dear Rosa getting along with her relatives~ This glimpse occurs outside the catbox, which is to say, in the home of Ushiromiya Rosa. I do hope you will find this tale to your liking~ Come now, let us not waste anymore time, and embark on this new jounry together~_

 **Chapter 18: Roses and Blood**

 _ **Where are you running to?**_

 _Far, far away. Away from here. Away from the mansion._

 _ **Do you think there'll be anywhere for you to go? Nobody would take you in, Ushiromiya Rosa~ You're going to die here, all because you are weak, and cowardly.**_

 _I am not weak or cowardly!_

 _ **You're running away from your own failures, you're weak, cowardly, stupid, you're worthless, you're WORTHLESS**_

 _SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP_

Ushiromiya Rosa kept on running, to silence the voice in her head. She ran and ran and ran, without a destination, randomly veering left or right. Her lungs burned. Her legs ached. Her pigtails flew behind her head, thorns and branches scraping her delicate skin. Eventually, she found the last thing she'd expected to find. _A mansion?_ She wondered, gazing at it in wonder. It was much smaller than her own home, but was still impressive enough to take her breath away. And not to mention, unexpected too.

Rosa crawled through a hole in the fence, mud staining her torn socks. _It's so pretty... Like I'm in a fairy tale..._ She walked around the fantastical rose garden in wonder. She wandered around for a while till she saw a gazebo. There sat the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. The woman had somewhat foreign features, with ginger blond hair hanging in bangs and coiled into an elaborate bun at the back of her head. The woman had porcelain white skin, and blue eyes that strongly reminded Rosa of the ocean. An elegant gown hung on her body, curving to show the perfect structure of her body. She smelled like roses.

"Wh-who are you?" The woman asked. Rosa suddenly felt awfully self-aware of all the dirt and scrapes and leaves on herself, and awkwardly attempted to brush the mud off her skirt and straighten her light brown bangs. "M-my name is Ushiromiya Rosa... I-I'm sorry for trespassing..." Rosa stammered, her brown eyes wide. "Ushiromiya...? You're a relative of Kinzo's?" The woman smiled. "Kinzo, yes! He, um, Kinzo is my father." Rosa explained. "Have a seat! Welcoming new visitors to this garden and speaking with them is my only pleasure."

The beautiful woman's name was Beatrice. Rosa thought her name was beautiful, just like she was. They sat and talked for a while, with Beatrice reacting in astonishment when Rosa told her she hadn't encountered any wolves on the way here, as she'd spent her whole life being told that vicious wolves lived in the forest. She bombarded Rosa with endless questions about the outside world, and looked rather sorrowful when Rosa told her about zoos.

Beatrice confided in her new friend that all she'd ever wanted to do was leave the mansion. She was meant to be a great witch, but she wasn't. She didn't feel like she was meant to be Beatrice. Rosa got the courage to propose something to the childish woman sitting opposite her. "Do you want to go outside the fence?" Rosa asked hesitantly, holding her hand out with an uncertain smile on her childlike features. "I don't need black tea and dresses. I won't meet with Kinzo anymore. I want to see the outside world." Her brilliant blue eyes sparkled. "Please, take me from here, Rosa." She took Rosa's hand in her own. The younger girl's hand fit perfectly in the older girl's, as though their hands were engineered this way specifically to fit into each other's.

Rosa led her out of the mansion, and Beatrice exclaimed in delight at everything she saw. She suggested they go down to the beach. Beatrice agreed obediently. She climbed down the cliff with Rosa, and fell. Fell straight into the arms of the Grim Reaper. Rosa was just beginning to reprimand her for not being careful, when she saw the body. The corpse of her first ever friend. All that beauty never left her, even in death. Her head was cracked open like an egg. Crimson liquid stained the jagged rocks and Beatrice's fair skin. And all Rosa could smell was blood and roses.

 _Many years later..._

Rosa lay in her bed together with him. Both of their bodies were bare. He was touching her all over. She closed her eyes. _Blue eyes and blond hair._ Her eyelids flew open again. His hands roamed her body hungrily, his mouth leaving kisses all the way down her neck. _Roses and blood._ He didn't stop. Rosa cried out in pleasure. _Aquariums and theme parks._ She tried to clear her head of these thoughts. She allowed her own hands to explore his body, to use his touch to burn all these thoughts away from her head. She could see his dark eyes and hair. _Those aren't her eyes and hair. It's not right._ She touched him more desperately, silently screaming for him to burn all these thoughts of her away from her mind.

A while later, after they'd finished, he was asleep. In a whisper, he'd told her he loved her. She told him she loved him too. _But that isn't quite true, is it?_ She lay there with his arm around her for hours. She did love him, didn't she? That was why she so desperately wanted him to fill the hole Beatrice had left in her heart. Right?

She gets out of the bed, the feel of his arm around her body suddenly stifling instead of loving. She pulls her clothes on, and sweeps her messy brown hair out of her eyes. She walks to her room, and sits down at her desk, pulling out a sheet of paper. She reaches for a pencil, places the tip to the surface, and begins to draw. Lines pour from her simple drawing instrument onto the paper, lines that intersected to form a carricature of a person's face. Rosa had always been good at drawing. She sketches the perfect shape of her head. The round circles of her eyes. The soft bangs that covered her forehead. The rose adorned in her hair. The elegant gown that gave a child a regal air. After a few minutes, she is done. She holds up the pencil-sketch. It is a perfect portrait of Beatrice. Even after so many years away from the island, how could she ever forget that face, that voice, that person?

 _You were my first love, weren't you? And now you're gone. And it's my fault. I'm so sorry._ Rosa clenches the paper in her fists. Her drawing of Beatrice smiles gently at her. Rosa crumples it, puts her head in her hands, and began to cry.

She could've sworn she could smell it. Roses and blood.

 _I'm so sorry._

 _ **End**_


	19. Chapter 19

_Welcome back, my dearest reader. I hope you've rested well? I simply cannot wait to show you this latest tale of mine. This particular kakera is one of my own creation, where the only survivors of the Rokkenjima Mass Murder Incident are not Ushiromiya Eva and Ushiromiya Battler, but only Ushiromiya Rosa and her daughter, Ushiromiya Maria. Sadly, this unique fragment is a tale that I confess to weaving, so this story definitely does not exist. However, I thought such a tale would be interesting, to say the least, and this catbox is able to hold so many different futures, it was so hard to choose just one... *giggle*giggle* I shall now step aside, and allow you to journey into this fictitious kakera, my beloved reader~_

 **Chapter 18: Miracle Chapter / HAPPY End**

 _10th March 1987_

Ushiromiya Rosa picked up the pen from the table, and signed her name at the bottom of the page, a happy, relieved smile spreading across her face. It was as though that simple action was symbolizing a great weight being lifted off the brown-haired woman's slender shoulders, which was actually rather true. Today was the day she'd finally paid off all of that man's debts, the day she could finally be free, without the shadow of hope of his return tormenting her. Rosa rose to leave, her brown eyes fixated on her signature, a loopy scrawl of her own name she'd done countless times, but yet this particular signature seemed to stand out in her eyes. After all, it _was_ a symbol of her freedom; the key to the cage in hell she'd been locked in for 9 long, painful years. Rosa had signed the document as proof that her position as loan guarantor for that man was now gone, and that she had, at long last, cut off all ties with the man who left her to crawl in hell all alone for almost a decade.

"Wait a minute, Ushiromiya-san." The man who was overseeing the process (Rosa had forgotten his name, but what did it matter? She would never see him again, and would prefer not to remember anything related to 'that man' and his debts) stood up too as Rosa rose to leave. He told Rosa that 'that man' was waiting for her outside, and that he had just arrived, and was asking for her. Rosa felt many, many different conflicted emotions surge through her body. Happiness, of course, that he hadn't totally forgotten about her. Sadness, because he never called her back or wrote letters back to her. Anger, for _now_ he had returned, after she paid off all his loans, but not when she needed him the most. Confusion, for he never even bothered to call for 9 years, and yet here he was _in the flesh_ , asking to speak with her. These feelings swirled around Rosa's head, making it hard for her to think straight.

Finally, she nodded wordlessly, doing her best to ignore the huge lump that was constricting her throat. Rosa composed herself, nervously raked her fingers through her soft brown hair, adjusted her blue vest, sighing deeply while mentally preparing herself. She stiffly walked towards the life, her legs refusing to coordinate themselves properly, perhaps because her head was overwhelmed with the sound of her heart thudding rapidly. Rosa continued to take small, stiff steps behind the man, following him to the lobby, where 'that man' was waiting for her. She couldn't believe it. He'd really returned. She tried to say something, but only a small, choked sound escaped her lips.

"Rosa?" 'That man' smiled uncertainly at her. He looked just like how she imagined him to look after so long. Slightly taller than before, though he still towered over her by half a head, his dark brown hair as short as ever, the color of his ultramarine eyes absolutely unchanged. Rosa never expected to see him ever again. A long time ago, she'd fantasized about holding her daughter's hand, a happy, excited smile on both their faces, as they waited at the train station for the missing part of their family to return. Needless to say, that day never came. It was just stashed away in the back of Rosa's mind, as well as all her stupid childhood dreams and delusions of a good partner waiting patiently for her hardworking man to return.

Rosa made another soft, choked sound. She was dimly aware of all the blood rushing up to her cheeks, and that she was staring at him as though in a trance, unable to speak. He seemed to understand her silence, though, and his smile turned a little worried. "Rosa...? Are you okay...?" He asked concernedly. A wave of anger seized Rosa's insides. _Now you're suddenly concerned? What about those 9 long years I waited for you?!_ She swallowed the rage building up in her system, forced a smile, and nodded affirmatively. "Shall we go for coffee somewhere then?" He continued, seemingly relieved that she'd actually _moved_ , instead of just standing there gaping at him. Rosa didn't know _what_ possessed her, perhaps she wanted closure that he'd truly left her, or something else, but she nodded again, and even managed to choke out a small 'sure'. Sensing her discomfort, he hesitated. "Or would you prefer going back to your place? And I can see Maria too." _Maria._ The sound of her daughter's name jerked Rosa out of her trance-like shock. She wanted to pull her hair and hit him till her fists bled and scream at him for choosing _now_ of all times to return to care for her and her daughter, when she didn't need it anymore. She was now the head of the family, _and_ possessed 20 billion yen in gold, she didn't need him any more than she wanted to return to Rokkenjima.

Not that there was any Rokkenjima to return to anyways, she'd let the island explode even after discovering the bomb along with the gold upon solving the riddle of the epitaph. Rosa had taken Maria with her, escaped to Kuwadorian (even though Kuwadorian had haunted her nightmares ever since that one day 19 years ago when she killed Beatrice while trying to save her from her own miserable state) with her daughter, and watched as her siblings, their families, the servants, _and_ the mansion all go down in flames. Rosa was faced with lots of questions from the press and the media, asking for details on what happened that day. Rosa never spoke a word though, just avoided everyone's eyes and pulled Maria along, refusing to spill anything. Gradually, the reporters stopped harassing her so much, though there were plenty of people who would whisper the word _murderer_ at her as she walked past them.

With the stubbornness and pride that ran in the blood of the Ushiromiya family, Rosa held her head high, ignored the cruel comments uttered at her, and allowed them to carry on thinking of her as a murderer. Occassionally, she broke down under all the pressure and sobbed to Maria, who had grown quite a fair bit, and would hold her mother encouragingly. At one point, Rosa even wrote everything that happened down in a diary, to lift the horrible, bloodstained sin off her chest. She never let anyone touch that diary, not even Maria, even though she was now much more mature than before. Rosa herself was aging, though she didn't change much externally; her face was as smooth and wrinkle-free and her features looked as lovely as ever, though inwardly, after killing all her relatives, Rosa had changed. Ushiromiya Ange, her niece, had refused to accept her as her new mother, and even Maria couldn't change the stubborn redheaded girl's mind, so Rosa and Ange continued to treat each other coldly, though Rosa tried to reach out to her many times. Ange was always hostile towards her, believing Rosa to have murdered her brother and parents in cold blood, and was rather distant with Maria too.

Right now, Ange and Maria were also at school, a fancy private school that Rosa had carefully selected for them. Maria hadn't grown up at all, and was convinced that Rokkenjima exploded because Beatrice used her magic to destroy everything, but let Maria and her Mama survive because Maria was a friend of the witch. Rosa had also stopped hitting Maria since that day, and found more... rational manners to reprimand her daughter and make sure she turned out to be a fine woman. One of the few good things that came from the incident, was that Rosa's relationship with Maria was the same, if not closer. Ange, on the other hand, simply _refused_ to accept her no matter what, unaware that the harsh way she treated Rosa was just twisting the daggers embedded in her heart. In fact, even if she _was_ aware, she would have probably done it as much as she could've, just to hurt the murderer who stole her family from her.

"Alright." Rosa tried to force her features into a natural smile. She'd been planning this moment in her head for years now, but she found that all that fantasizing evaporated in the face of _actually seeing him again_. She led him to the subway in silence, her mind racing through the many things she would talk about with him later. They rode the train without speaking, though Rosa caught him sneaking glances at her every now and then, the way she first did when she first met him. He tried speaking several times, but cut himself off midsentence, as though giving up. Rosa did not make an effort to speak to him either, welcoming the silence that protected her from him. "So you're still living here?" He asked, taking a brave stab at having a conversation with her. Rosa nodded stiffly. "It was _my_ house too, even after you left." She said coldly. "Rosa, I-" He began again, as though wanting to apologize or something, but Rosa stalked ahead, thanking her lucky stars that they'd reached her house, and that she didn't have to listen to his meaningless apologies.

Rosa unlocked the door, and led him in, shutting it after they both entered. "Have a seat." She said curtly, walking to the kitchen to prepare some tea. Her fingers were trembling as she reached for the delicate china teapot and started to make tea. Soon, Rosa exited the kitchen with some tea for both of them, to find that man looking at the framed photographs on the mantel with interest. "This is Maria?" He asked, holding up a photograph that depicted Maria and Rosa with faces pink with cold, but smiling and hugging each other as snowflakes gently rained down onto them. "Yes." Rosa replied. "She's adorable." He smiled affectionately, making Rosa want to throttle him. "Where is she?" He asked. "School." Rosa sat down at the table, setting down the two cups of tea as well.

That man took a seat opposite her, sipping the hot tea she'd made. "So..." He began. "Where were you all these years?" Rosa spoke softly, her eyes fixed on her hands, which were clasped together tightly on the table. "I was at work-" He began, but Rosa cut his meaningless excuses off immediately. "If you really _were_ working as you said you were, to return to me as someone famous, why didn't you call back? Why were all my letters returned? Why didn't you come see me even once for the past decade?" Her voice was soft, though the impact it had on him was one that harsh words and yelling would never have achieved. He awkwardly lifted the cup to his lips, drank from it slowly, as though trying to buy time for a new answer, and then spoke hesitantly. "I _did_ want to contact you, I really did... I... Never received any letters, and you always called at bad times for me." He said slowly, with pauses in between every excuse. "I... _Did_ want to call back, but I didn't have time." _Even a minute of hearing your voice for the past few years would be enough to pull me out of the hell I crawled in._

"I wanted to visit you at some point." Lies continued to pour from his mouth. _When will he stop deceiving me?_ "But when I called your company, the president was on a date with her boyfriend, apparently." _Is that how it was?_ "I also found out that you'd gone on many other little vacations with other men before." _While that is true, I did it to try to forget you, to see if anyone else could fill in the part of my heart you took with you._ "So I assumed that you didn't want to see me anymore..." _That's true. I meant to refuse if you ever contacted me again._ "But I _did_ want to see you again, at least once more." _Lies._ "So I came back." _You only want to see the gold I own now._ "I still care about you, after all these years." _Lies, lies, lies._

"Are you finished?" Rosa said quietly, her brown eyes now staring into the depths of her cup. "What-" His blue eyes widened. "I don't care much for your excuses." She continued in the same soft, tired, somewhat bored tone. It was about time he learned that she'd changed a lot since the last time they met, especially since last year. "Please get out of my house, and never ever come looking for me again." _To hell with him meeting Maria. I don't want her to meet this man ever._ "Rosa, I-" Ignoring him, Rosa walked over to the front door and held it wide open, a humorless smile twisting her lips. He reluctantly strode to the front door, but turned back at the last minute. "I'm sorry. If you'd ever let me apologize..." His face was drawing nearer and nearer to hers', too close, too close...

She felt his arm hesitantly circle her waist as he slowly pressed his lips against hers', the way he'd done so many times before he left, and her eyes melted shut against her will. She remembered how they used to live together for a few months of golden bliss. She'd wake up wrapped snugly in his arms, then they'd make breakfast together. He would leave for work while she stayed home and helped out to organize his documents and so on. During lunch, he'd come back home, and she'd have prepared some food, which they would discuss his work over. Later, he'd leave to resume working till dinnertime, then come home with something he'd bought from the store on the way, or sometimes even take her out instead. After that, they'd go home and spend some time together, before going to sleep. On some days, he'd skip work and just take her out for the day, laughing off her protests and making sure she was happy. Sure, they'd had their fair share of fights, but they always melted away in the face of nervously stammered apologies and red-faced, mumbled acceptances of said apologies.

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes just a fraction, her brown eyes travelling to meet his blue ones, hoping salmost foolishly that he'd look at her the same way he did before. They were full of greed. Of course. He didn't see her, he saw her gold. Desire for all the gold she'd received upon solving the epitaph was clearly reflected in his eyes. Of course. The exact same eyes that Maria had inherited from him were always filled with happy, innocent joy, and the hunger in the exact same set of eyes belonging to a different person almost made her shudder. _He doesn't love you, Rosa. Not anymore._ She didn't need him, she never needed him.

She remembered all too clearly the day they'd discovered the existence of Maria. She'd broken down sobbing in his arms while he did his best to conceal his tears too, stroking her hair and telling her all sorts of enchanting lies about how he would work hard, for her _and_ their child. All the memories came flooding back as that man held her close to him the way he used to, and gently stroked her hair with the hand that wasn't holding her close, and all of a sudden all Rosa felt like doing was just crying into his chest. Deep down, she knew no matter how much time had passed, whether she'd moved on or not, there would always be a part of her that would love him till the end of time. Love is a strange and stupid thing, isn't it?

Rosa closed her eyes, letting the moment capture itself in her brain, where it would be remain for all eternity, just a memory. Finally, with shaking hands, she pushed him away, shaking her head. "No. Goodbye." _I just want this to be over._ She gave him a hard shove out the door and locked it. He knocked on the door and yelled something she couldn't quite catch, and finally he gave up, turning and leaving. Rosa watched his retreating back as it faded out of view, with a small smile playing on her lips. _It's over._ Her brown eyes followed his movements, and there was something running down her cheek, no, it wasn't a tear, she wasn't crying, she wasn't...

 **End**

 _And here, my most beloved reader, is where I must conclude our brief journey together. It was entertaining while it lasted, was it not? I apologize for ending this little collection so abruptly, but I feel it time to allow you to carry on into the future, am I right? And, forgive me if I sound rude, but surely you must've guessed that our parting would arrive soon from the finality of the event within this unreal Fragment that I have allowed you to glimpse? *giggle*giggle* The few glimpses of the infinte kakera we took together are exceedingly precious, even to a xxxxxx such as myself~ I must apologize once again, for keeping my identity hidden even now, when we have gone through such an adventure together~ However, if I were to reveal my true form to you, I fear that love, or in some cases, lack thereof, will cloud your vision, causing you to immediately distrust the words I have poured my very soul into~ I sincerely pray from the bottom of my heart that we shall meet again in the distant future, and perhaps undertake another voyage through the Fragments, or even have a pleasant conversation over some black tea and cookies? *giggle*giggle* well now, I shall bid you good day, my dearest reader. Farewell, and let us meet again._


End file.
